Rail line near Shalimar Garden gets UNESCO green light

Lahore Fort renovation delays still cause for concern

LAHORE: The UN’s cultural arm has given its blessings to the Punjab government to go ahead with Orange Line railway construction near Shalimar Gardens. Unesco’s World Heritage Committee accepted the Pakistan government’s claim that an international consultant will also study traffic flow control strategies around the site in a bid to keep Shalimar Gardens from becoming an endangered world heritage site.

The WHC did, however, express reservations at the performance of the Walled City Authority, and also expressed reservations over the delay in the construction of drainage in Lahore Fort and in repairing the facility.



An NGO called ‘Lahore Conservation Society’, which highlighted the issue of the possible dangers to the fort amidst the initiation of the Lahore Orange Train project put forward this case in 2016 to the WHC. Shalimar Bagh then got the status of the international heritage site; therefore, according to international laws, the Punjab government needed to provide information and research studies in written to Unesco before the commencement of the project, but the information was never provided.

The WHC, which had members from 21 countries, expressed strong reservations in its meeting that Pakistan has not implemented the operational guidelines prescribed in paragraph 172 of the ‘international heritage convention’ by not providing the details concerned to Bagh. In this regard, the government of Pakistan had claimed that para 172 is implemented at  only the possible direct damage;  from the government all  the research studies included EIA, HIA, Visual Impact Assessment, Vibration Analysis, were carried out by native and foreign experts and all studies proved no  direct possibility of damage to Shalimar Bagh.

The WHC, at their last meeting this month in Baku, Azerbaijan had prepared a ‘draft decision’ with the consultation of members countries. According to the draft, had they not agreed to Pakistan’s claim and it was found that Pakistan is unable to take satisfactory steps in this regard, Pakistan should be included in the list of countries where heritage sites are at risk. The committee had assigned Pakistan 31 steps, which included making one road adjacent to the park a footpath and the other for vehicular traffic.

The Federal and Punjab government delegations in Baku included Punjab Minister Raja Yasir Humayun, Punjab Ombudsman’s Secretary and Archaeology Director Ch Ijaz Ahmed, Nespak General Manager Salman Hafeez and Deputy Director Hasan Gilani, Pakistani Ambassador to UNESCO Moinul Haque and his deputy Neelofer Shahzad. The Pakistani delegation informed the representatives of 21 countries of their claim and technicalities by meeting them individually, while also using diplomatic channels to request support.

On the issue of the footpath and alternate traffic routes, the delegation said that research has been carried out in this regard and as the population will be largely affected due to this, Pakistan made proposal for another study to see if any change is possible to move traffic from the current road  to the front of Bagh without causing any damage. This suggestion was accepted, and after this, Azerbaijan presented a resolution that the written recommendation to include Pakistan in the ‘risky’ list should be turned down and Pakistan’s claim should be accepted.

According to sources, the committee was concerned by the worsening situation around Lahore Fort, especially the delay in the construction of drains.



After returning to the country, the Punjab government delegation presented recommendations in which it is said that Pakistan should participate in the elections of the WHC and preparations should be started from now so that all conditions are met before the committee meeting in 2020. They also suggested that the Punjab government work on an emergency basis to look after heritage buildings and UNESCO should be in kept in the loop in this regard.

They said that Lahore Fort will be a key discussion point in the 2020 meeting, which puts the impetus on the Lahore Walled City Authority to ensure timely completion of all projects relating to its upkeep.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2019.