SHALIMAR Gardens in Lahore are a protected monument that is being main-tained by the Punjab Archaeology Department since long till it was taken over by the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) a few years ago. It has been noted with concern that since taking over the historical gardens, the WCLA has started arranging musical concerts there.

Even a person having basic knowledge of archaeology knows that holding such concerts and playing loud music with huge sound systems can cause damage to the fragile structures. The vibrations caused by sound amplifiers cause irre-parable damage to the structures built hundreds of years ago.

Recently, a drum circle event was held there. Earlier, the Shish Mahal in Lahore Fort suffered badly owing to sound pollution in the vicinity, but that has failed to have any impact on the authorities that are there to protect these very monuments.

The officials concerned should avoid holding musical concerts in the historical gardens. If we are not in a position to even take care of archaeological sites as per international standards, we should at least avoid activities that cause damage to these fragile structures. Preserving historical sites for our young generation is our national duty.

Aslam Javaid
Lahore

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2025