LAHORE:The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) and Agence Francaise de Developpement/French Development Agency have signed a Project Agreement of € 22 million for the Heritage & Urban Regeneration, Tourism Development in Lahore Fort and its buffer zone whereas the project is for 5 years starting from December 2022.
The project agreement signing ceremony was attended by Nicolas Galey, Ambassador of France to Pakistan, Mehmoodur Rasheed, Minister Local Government, Punjab, Philippe Steinmetz, Director of French Development Agency, Additional Secretary LG&CD, government of the Punjab, Kamran Lashari DG, WCLA, Director C&P, WCLA and Khawaja Tauseef Ahmed, CEO AKCSP.
Major project components are tourism, museum, and additional conservation work in Lahore Fort while urban infrastructures, conservation, and tourism expansion in Buffer Zone of Lahore Fort will also be carried out under this project.
Moreover, a dedicated project management unit will also be established in WCLA to oversee, coordinate and implement all activities of the project.
Director General WCLA Kamran Lashari said, “The focus areas will be promoting tourism, generating additional economic activities and building climate change resilience for local communities, the project aims to protect and restore a unique heritage site in Pakistan which is Lahore Fort along with the surroundings areas of Taxali Gate. The encroachments surrounding the heritage structure shall be removed. The Mariam Zamani Mosque will also be visible to the tourists which is covered by the encroachments. A link will be developed between the Mariam Zamani Mosque and the Lahore Fort through this project. A museum will also be established in the basement (summer palace) of Lahore Fort under this project.”