Last week the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival (LAHR) was set up with the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as the patron-in-chief and head of the ‘steering’ committee. The objective is to ‘allegedly’ restore the original ‘glory’ of old Lahore.

This new ‘authority’ is over and above the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), whose objective is exactly the same, that being to ‘restore the original heritage of Lahore’. Mr. Sharif, himself a ‘Pucca Lahori’, certainly knows a bit about the old walled city. His posh daughter, the current chief minister, heads the new authority, little that she knows of ‘old Lahore’. The committee comprises entirely of serving ‘hardened’ bureaucrats, with just one exception, at least it seems so. That exception is the WCLA head, himself a veteran bureaucrat who has yet to, practically speaking, retire.

Just why was there a need for yet another authority when the WCLA was doing reasonably well. Its lack of funds was a well-known fact. So why create yet another ‘authority’ to do the same thing? Was it lack of direct control by politicians and their bureaucrats? Or is it the money that flows the WCLA way, which is spent by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture doing all the hard work and are very honest.

The WCLA itself has collected a considerable experience and knowledge over its 12 years to monitor the jobs at hand. But then the new authority filled entirely of serving bureaucrats will surely experience problems of their own. The handling of a lot of funds, we will not mention. When a bureaucrat retires the knowledge base is also lost. Heritage organisations abhor such a set-up. This ‘pen pusher’ contacted two of the top bureaucrats who both said the same thing; “It’s a political move for you know why”.

Ah, nothing as vague, or should one say precise, like a bureaucrat’s statement. But let us ignore such considerations and try to point out a few undertakings that are possible, or desirable.

Mr. Sharif has set out the need to modernise The Mall of Lahore. His wish is that all the open electricity wires along this beautiful boulevard be moved underground, just like it is on The Mall of London. Then he has desired that all along this boulevard there should be pavements so that people can move about safely. Sounds reasonable.

But the best part is that there is a move to get a ‘Lower Mall to Airport’ bus service running every 15 minutes. The already is one of sorts. You never know these might be red double-deckers like in London. In this Mr. Sharif should have widespread backing. All that is needed is a fleet of 20 buses running around the ‘Gol Bagh’ and back to the airport.

The old LOS service set up by the amazing Zulfiqar Taha on Mr. Jinnah’s orders, seems to have been ignored. It seems the poor are being ignored, and ‘tourist-friendly’ moves are more popular with our business-cum-political leaders. But as things go it is the walled city of Lahore that is the greatest asset for tourism. The restoration of this ‘once-walled’ city to a ‘walled city’ is what will make the difference.

Once the old walled city is ‘walled’, then there will be a push to rebuild-restore the 13 gateways of the city. We can inform our readers that there is a definite plan on paper for this to happen. The only people opposing this are the traders of the old city bazaars. The question is, can Mr. Sharif oppose these traders? My serious doubt remains, for he is one of them. Get the drift. Maybe the LAHR might achieve that. One never knows.

So how will the WCLA move forward as the political clout of the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival (LAHR) bites into their work. There is a definite opinion that the WCLA will become the LAHR. That is what a senior official who wished not to be named informed. If the WCLA committee which comprises highly experienced professional architects, artisans, heritage experts and other professionals is dumped and senior bureaucrats take over, will heritage be the gainer?

There is a definite opinion that this is a political move. But let it first spread its wings and then we will comment. But if we assume that this LAHR thing becomes effective, there are a few projects that can be undertaken which remain, vaguely, the WCLA is unable to take up. Firstly, there is the now almost complete Bradlaugh Hall on Rattigan Road. If this can be converted into a Partition Museum with the assistance of the 1947 Partition Archive project based in Berkeley, California, it will be a major historical step forward.

Just for the record this project has just published a massive book titled ‘10,000 Partition Stories’ and is moving forward to compile more. There is already one such museum in Amritsar, which experts feel is wanting. Maybe the Lahore one can fill in this huge gap. Mr. Sharif’s father faced Partition so he should appreciate this probability.

Secondly, as the WCLA moves to dismantle the Rim Market opposite Akbari Gate, and in its place, there are so many possibilities. It is also possible that the Mariam Zamani warship project be reconstructed as a remembrance of the Mughal navy that this woman set up. It took a woman to try to tackle the European ships that brought in colonialism. That would be amazing. Our history books never mention this.

Also, as all around the walled city, the circular garden between the Ring Road and the wall has been consumed by illegal markets. Money speaks. Shouldn’t this amazing garden be emptied? I am confident that the traders will oppose it. But for the old walled city to bloom this must be undertaken.

As one writes these words it seems that these moves are almost like a dream. But then Lahore is a dream-like city that has suffered because of the massive population growth that has soiled its true soul. But let me mention yet another project that will interest the learned of Lahore.

There is an urgent need for a ‘Book Street’ which should operate every day, not just the Sunday pavement book stalls at the end of Anarkali-Mall crossing. There are so many possibilities about its location, which is possible, maybe inside one entire Nila Gumbad street. These possibilities will add to the heritage of Lahore, at least in the way the educated appreciate it.

Lastly, it would be an amazing contribution if this Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival (LAHR) plans that the people of this city for just one day in the year celebrate Basant – the kite-flying ancient Lahore festival – and enjoy a tradition that needs ‘revival’. The areas planned can be three or four open spaces. It should avoid the helmet-less wireless illegal underage motorcyclists that the police are unable to control. That would be an amazing act of heritage revival.

As time passes and this new organisation moves forward full of bureaucrats, there is a very serious need to understand just why all this is happening. Who are the people being sidelined? Why are bureaucrats taking over heritage? Why has heritage become a political game? We will take up these subjects as time passes.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025