LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) is expected to complete the restoration work by November and will also launch an upgraded website of the project.
The WCLA is creating an internet portal where information about the historic area will be conveniently available. This will include statistical data and itineraries for tourists.
WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said, “Restructuring the houses in the Walled City is just one part of a much bigger plan. It would be pointless to undertake such a massive project without advertising it.”
“We are trying to apply international standards of conservation to this historic site without affecting the lives and traditions of those who live within the walls,” Lashari said.
He said the WCLA planned to improve the website and transform it into a web portal where information would be readily available.
WCLA communications expert Tania Qureshi said, “Many people in Lahore rarely visit the Walled City because it is a difficult place to access. Its beauty is overshadowed by a dangerous mix of bad stereotypes and mismanagement. Increasing the presence of the Walled City on the Internet will help people who have never been there appreciate the historical importance of this site.”
The website would be developed, she said, over the next three to six months.
She said several interns and volunteers were helping with the work.
The restoration of the Walled City is planned in a phased manner. Package 1 from Delhi Gate to Chowk Purani Kotwali, was meant to finish in June 2013. However, its completion has ben delayed until November.
The main objective of the project is to make the city more accessible. Securing the infrastructures ”is the first step.” A mass advertisement campaign will make the project more visible.
Qureshi said, “Residents of the Walled City must cooperate with us. This is why we are working on a micro-scale, going door to door trying to create a community-based organization.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2013.