MULTAN, Dec 6 The Punjab Archeology Department has launched work on converting the upper portion of the Clock Tower building into a museum. It will be the first museum in Multan.

Work on the project had to be started last year as the Punjab government had allocated Rs5 million for it but the funds were surrendered owing to procedural delay, sources told Dawn.

In 2008, the then district coordination officer, Fazeel Asghar proposed to establish the first museum of Multan (one of the oldest cities in the world) in the building of the historical Clock Tower. The proposal was turned down by Shahbaz Khan, who was then director general of the archaeology department, who declared the building unsuitable for a museum.

The succeeding director general, Dr Syed Pervez Abbas also visited the Clock Tower building and recommended that the museum could be established in the upper portion (of the building). The provincial assembly approved the establishment of museum in the 2008-09 budget and included it in the Annual Development Projects.

The commissioner, who is authorised to approve schemes up to Rs100 million, gave his nod to the project in April 2008 and also issued administrative approval in this regard. However, some officials of the finance department raised an objection that the commissioner could not issue the administrative approval. They said only the archeology department secretary could issue the approval.

Information, Culture and Youth Affairs Secretary Shoaib bin Aziz approved the scheme by the end of June but the funds had to be surrendered as the fiscal year was going to be over soon. The Punjab government has now released Rs20 million out of the Rs40.724 million estimated to be spent on the project.

The Clock Tower building was built in 1884 during the British Raj for municipal offices and became Town Hall. After exactly 100 years of its construction, that is in 1984, the authorities decided that a commercial building would be constructed after demolishing the original structure as the place was very important from business point of view. However, the plan could not be materialised owing to public protest.

The Town Hall has been serving as a centre of literary and cultural activities for decades. Intellectual Mazhar Arif said Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi, during his governorship of the province, initiated a move to establish a museum and a number of sites, including Qila Kuhna Qasim Bagh, were visited by the archaeology department officials but the move could not materialise.

He said the important task for the museum management would be to bring back historical and cultural treasures of Multan, which included large paintings depicting the resistance of locals against British forces in the streets of the city.

Punjab Archeology Department in-charge Malik Ghulam Muhammad said about Rs15 million would be spent on the museum project. Another Rs2 million would be required for electrification and Rs1.5 million for the purchase of equipment.

He said in the next phase of the scheme, antiques would be purchased for the museum. He said a nine-member committee had been constituted, with the information secretary as its head.

He said the project would complete next year provided the funds were made available in time.