Lashari steps down as WCLA chief

LAHORE:

Kamran Lashari has stepped down as Director General of the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), ending a 12-year tenure.

The resignation, submitted to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz late on Wednesday, cited personal reasons for his departure. "It has been a great honour and privilege for me to serve the Walled City of Lahore Authority. However, due to personal reasons, I find myself unable to continue discharging the duties of this office," he wrote in the letter, according to sources.

Since taking office in 2012, Lashari led major conservation projects, including work on the Lahore Fort, Sheesh Mahal, Delhi Gate and several inner-city neighbourhoods.

Although Lashari cited personal reasons, the timing of his resignation has prompted speculation. Sources in the authority and government said the move had followed the transfer of the administrative control over key heritage sites - including Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens - from the WCLA to the archaeology department. The shift stems from a directive by the Lahore High Court.