Tag: Lahore Fort

  • France to provide Rs4.6 billion for the renovation of Lahore Fort

    France to provide Rs4.6 billion for the renovation of Lahore Fort

    A financing agreement worth more than Rs4.6 billion (€22 million) has been signed by the government of Pakistan and the government of France, through the French Development Agency (FDA), to provide technical and financial support for the restoration of the Lahore Fort.

    A special heritage site in Pakistan is to be protected and restored as part of the HURL (Heritage & Urban Regeneration in Lahore) project. The areas of focus will be increasing economic activity, promoting tourism, and preparing local communities for climate change.

    The walled city and fort of Lahore, which is in the middle of an 11 million-person metropolis, is made up of numerous unique structures with exceptional historical and cultural value as well as numerous compact ancient neighbourhoods.

    The fort faced numerous threats to its integrity, which led to UNESCO listing it as a World Heritage Site in Danger in 1981. The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), and the Punjab government launched a ten-year conservation initiative to develop and restore the site in 2012.

    The French government is delighted to be supporting this attempt through AFD: “France is proud to be part of the ambitious plan of the Punjab government to develop and promote the unique cultural heritage of Lahore,” said Nicolas Galey, the French ambassador to Pakistan.

    By enhancing the tourist attraction of the locations and enhancing the living conditions of the riparian populations, the restoration and development of the Lahore Fort surroundings will be a potent engine of sustainable economic development of the City.

    The HURL project will be financed over a five-year period. It is anticipated that this will strengthen the Lahore Fort’s resilience, generate more income and employment opportunities, particularly for women and the transgender community, and contribute to the restoration and improvement of the fort.

    By including the neighbourhoods surrounding the fort as a growth interface, it will also increase tourism development and strengthen the capacity of WCLA and its associates.

    The AFD is reaffirming its dedication to Lahore’s urban development by funding this project. This significant undertaking is just the beginning of the French government’s efforts to support the restoration of South Asian heritage.

  • ‘Shameful’: Fawad Chaudhry condemns vandalism of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has condemned the vandalism of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue at the Lahore Fort.

    “Shameful this bunch of illiterates are really dangerous for Pakistan image in the world,” tweeted Chaudhry.

    Punjab Police tweeted that the culprit has been arrested.

    A video went viral on social media in which the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was being vandalised by a man.

    https://twitter.com/AU_Qasmi/status/1427516195331354707

    Have a look at how people on social media are reacting to the video:

    https://twitter.com/gigglypundit/status/1427536453446348828

    Last year in December, police arrested a teenager for vandalising a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled Punjab in the 19th century. The statue was installed in front of the Haveli of Rani Jindan at the Lahore Fort. This is the third time that Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue has been vandalised.

  • 400-year-old tunnel discovered during restoration at Lahore Fort

    400-year-old tunnel discovered during restoration at Lahore Fort

    According to The Express Tribune, the tunnel discovered at the opulently designed Mughal fort — that already houses over 20 key monuments — is still firmly in place.

    The 625-feet tunnel is well ventilated and lighted, and consists of niches that have been made for lighting lamps.

    The excavation of the tunnel

    As per the opinion of experts, the tunnel was used as drainage and secret passage.

    While modern machinery and equipment are used for the restoration of historical monuments, the archaeology team has done it successfully in the traditional fashion.

    “Snakes and scorpions were also found during the excavation,” experts said, adding that traces of it were found during excavation on another restoration project.

  • Teen arrested for vandalising Ranjeet Singh statue at Lahore Fort

    Lahore police have arrested a teenager for vandalising a statue of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, who ruled Punjab in the 19th century, installed in front of the Haveli of Rani Jindan at Lahore Fort.

    Police said that the boy Zaheer — a resident of Harbanspura — was inspired by the speeches of late firebrand cleric Khadim Rizvi. As per the teenager, Ranjeet Singh killed Muslims and converted Badshahi Mosque into a stable, adding that these reasons compelled him to destroy the statue of the Sikh ruler.

    It was learned that Zaheer broke the arm in an attempt to damage the statue. He was caught by the security guards on the spot, who stopped him from further damaging the statue.

    A Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) spokesperson said that a case has been lodged against the suspect at the Tibbi City police station. Strict action will be taken against the accused, it said, adding that the statue would be repaired by the WCLA at earliest.

    The nine-foot-tall statue of Ranjeet Singh, who died in 1839, was unveiled in June 2019 on his 180th death anniversary. The statue, made of cold bronze, depicts the emperor sitting on a horse with a sword in his hand. Popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled over the Sikh empire in the Punjab region in the early half of the 19th century. 

    After almost decade-long infightings, his empire came to an end in 1848 with the colonisation of Punjab by the East Indian Company.

  • Amin Hafeez is a Mughal emperor in his latest news report

    Amin Hafeez is a Mughal emperor in his latest news report

    Some people are a natural at stealing the spotlight. And if there is anyone who knows how to get everyone’s attention, it is Geo News reporter Amin Hafeez. Field reporting is undoubtedly very tough but Hafeez is not one to shy away and he not only presents the news report but also makes it interesting with his very own unique style.

    His latest news report on the story of a wedding in the royal kitchen of the Lahore Fort, which was widely circulated on social media, is the perfect example of that. In the video, Hafeez can be seen as a sword-wielding Mughal emperor or maybe a warrior.

    Twitter couldn’t get enough of him and one journalist even called him a “national treasure”.

    Even people across the border were impressed by his skills.

  • Wedding at Lahore Fort’s Royal kitchen sparks furor

    Wedding at Lahore Fort’s Royal kitchen sparks furor

    A wedding at Lahore Fort’s 400-year old Royal Kitchen sparked public outrage after pictures and videos from the event went viral on social media. This prompted the chief minister, chief secretary and other high authorities to take serious notice of the matter and they pledged action against all those involved in the incident.

    https://twitter.com/hijabtufail/status/1215655380711301121?s=20

    According to reports, renowned industrial group Fatima Fertilizer Company had booked the UNESCO World Heritage Site for a corporate event. However, they decided to host a mehndi there instead. The Walled City of Lahore Authority said that the company was given permission to hold a corporate dinner but they went against the rules and that legal action will be taken against them.

    The permission letter, addressed to Major Asjad Nawaz Cheema, which is being circulated on social media clearly stated that fireworks, live cooking, hooks and nails among other things are strictly prohibited.

    The letter also only gave permission for a ‘private dinner’. WCLA DG Kamran Lashari also shared that the application had said that the dinner would consist of 100 participants (business people) only. However, there were close to 400 people at the event.

    The kitchen was rented out for Rs500,000 with a refundable Rs100,000 security deposit.

    Chief Secretary Punjab took notice of the incident while the WCLA suspended the fort’s in-charge Bilal Tahir for negligence and also formally requested for an FIR to be lodged against Fatima Fertilizer Company.

    Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also condemned the incident and said in a press release that “Organising a marriage ceremony at the Lahore Fort is a serious offence.”

    Meanwhile Fatima Fertlizer Company Limited rejected the media reports and the claims of the WCLA and said that the function was held in line with the instructions of the WCLA.

    “It was neither mehndi nor valima, it was just a dinner hosted by our company in honour of its guests,” said the company’s Corporate Affairs Manager. “We are a responsible firm and we can never think of flouting the laws, rules & regulations, policies and guidelines of the public and private sector organisations.”

  • Heavy rain causes Lahore Fort’s entrance gate to collapse

    Heavy rain causes Lahore Fort’s entrance gate to collapse

    Heavy rains in Lahore didn’t just disrupt the flow of traffic yesterday but have also caused the main entrance gate of historical Shahi Qila to collapse.

    According to details, continuous rain and accumulation of rainwater damaged the small wooden gate of the historical Lahore fort, causing it to collapse. The door is part of the Roshnai Gate which opens into the Food Street. The door was built during colonial rule.

    After reports of the door collapsing made rounds on media, the Walled City Authority was quick to point out that the Roshani Gate itself is intact, but the small entrance gate has come unhinged due to the rain.

    WLCA officials said that the door collapsed due to the accumulation of water in the food street and that it will be restored as soon as possible.

    The historical Lahore Fort was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1981. It one of the oldest and biggest Mughal structure in the subcontinent. It continues to attract visitors from far and wide and is central to Lahore’s history and culture.