Rs251m allocated for revival of Multan’s heritage

MULTAN: Punjab Parliamentary Secretary on Information and Culture Nadeem Qureshi has directed the authorities concerned to proceed ahead with the Walled City Project (WCP) for the revival of the city's historic monuments

In a maiden meeting of the WCP Steering Committee on Thursday, presided over jointly by Nadeem Qureshi as its chairman and Deputy Commissioner Amir Khatak as the project director, the secretary said Rs251 million would be spent on reviving the city's heritage.

Two components of the projects have already been completed, including renovation of Musafir Khana near Darbar Musa Pak Shaheed and conservation of Haram Gate, while the remaining Rs86 million would be invested to conserve and renovate 87 shops of Punjab's second-largest Sarafa Bazaar up to a length of 100 metres and to revive historical Pak Gate.

"I want to give residents of the city of saints a gift of the revival of the heritage of the ancient city of Multan," the WCP chairman said.

Qureshi said the fortification wall of the walled city and three of its six historical gates did not exist today and promised to revive the three missing gates and fortification wall under the project.

Built heritage: Historical mosques to be restored in Multan

He said in addition to seeking funds from the Punjab government, the WCP Steering Committee would also make efforts to get Rs450 million from the Economic Affairs Division available with them as saving.

The PTI leader announced that no one would be allowed to paste or install banners on historical buildings and structures. Project Director DC Amir Khatak said a sum of Rs33 million would be spent on conservation and renovation of 87 shops of Sarafa Bazaar, adding that an expert consultant would be hired to complete it.

He said the meeting had decided to release salaries of WCP employees while the committee would be formed to clear arrears of the project owed to contractors for the work they have completed already.

It was decided to remove all encroachments from the monuments and to convert over a century-old Clock Tower building into Pak-Italian Resource centre.

The WCP Multan is one of the 41 development initiatives agreed upon under Pak-Italy Debt for Development Swap Agreement (PIDSA) under which three components were to be completed at a cost of Rs251 million. Two components stand completed and the third one and more heritage revival initiatives would be taken up shortly, a WCP official said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2019.