A foreign expert inspects a wall of Shahi Qila. PHOTO: WLCA
Foreign experts have been hired by the authority to achieve this objective after an inspection revealed that the writing and marks have affected the beauty of the royal fort.
The Shahi Qila and other historical places in the provincial capital have been marred by inappropriate messages, personal names, telephone numbers, love messages, and silly remarks; perhaps no tourist place is safe from such messages and graffiti. The WCLA will also remove the graffiti from the walls and structure of the royal fort to restore it to its real beauty.
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To attain this objective, the WCLA is making use of the services of an expert named Oscar Polis. He visited different places of the fort, including Diwan-e-Khas and made videos and pictures highlighting the writings so that he can properly analyse the inks that were used, the chemicals required to erase it and the method needed to erase the writings.
WCLA Director Najmus Saqib told The Express Tribune that these writings and marks have deteriorated the historical places. “The writings and marks cannot be cleaned by using normal chemical. Furthermore, if the unsafe methods are used to clean the marks, there is a probability that the original paintings on the royal fort will be damaged.
He added that foreign experts have extensive experience in regards to cleaning historic places and the ones hired by WCLA can help protect the walls and stones besides erasing the writings. “Appropriate chemicals will be applied and likewise filling will be done on those parts where drawing or writing is done by the use of sharp objects.”
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He further said that the process is rigorous work but the team has to protect the country’s heritage from unneeded messages and graffiti.
According to a representative of the WCLA, graffiti is a crime because it damages historical places. “Fines can be imposed for writing messages or graffiti but the law has never been implemented here.”
A security guard said that mostly young tourists do this; he tried stopping them but it is impossible to keep an eye on everyone.
Graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting private or public property without permission is considered by property owners and civic authorities as defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime.
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A visitor at the Shahi Qila said that he only wrote his name and place there so that if he comes again he can prove to his friends that he has visited the place before. Another visitor commented that it is wrong despite admitting that he had written the name of his loved one. A female student of a private university said, “We should preserve our national heritage; we should not damage it by undue writings and making pictures. We need to bring awareness to our citizens to respect the national heritage and avoid writing messages.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2019.
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