Daily Times

LAHORE: Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court on Monday gave green signal to Walled City of Lahore Authority for conservation of Royal Kitchen at Lahore Fort and declined permission of opening a restaurant in the fort.

Chief Justice was hearing the petition moved by Imrana Tiwana, a representative of Heritage Foundation, challenging construction of eatery/restaurant at the fort building. She said that construction of the eatery in Royal Kitchen was unlawful and tantamount to destroying the site, which is also part of world heritage.

Petitioner counsel said that use of historical Fort for commercial purpose had put its conservation and beauty at stake, therefore, construction of eatery at Royal Kitchen should be set aside for being illegal and unlawful.

Counsel of Walled City of Lahore Authority, opposing the petition said that no eatery/restaurant is being built at the site of Royal Kitchen rather conservation work was being carried out for its protection. The counsel said that no food is cooked there.

He said that the heritage conservation board had approved the construction. He also said that all the work was done in fact conservation and adaptation process, which was allowed under the law.

He said that it was not a new construction but restoration of `Royal Kitchen’ which was already there. He claimed that the authority wanted to afford an opportunity to people to experience cuisine and food serving as it was during Mughal era

Chief Justice observed that the court would not allow use of Royal Kitchen for commercial purpose.

Chief Justice observed that the authority in its ad had mentioned that the food would be served at the Royal Kitchen.

Chief Justice observed “who are you to say that the words used in the ad are not correct”. A 15-member meeting decided these words for the ad. Chief Justice remarked how one could say that these words are not correct.

Chief Justice remarked that why the authority had not been responding rightly and gave two weeks time to the authority’s counsel with directive to come up with reply that whether ‘fine dining’ could be allowed in the heart of fort and whether kiosk could be established there.

Chief Justice warned the authority that the ad would be set aside if the authority failed to come up with convincing reply.

Published in Daily Times, December 12^th 2017.