A senior official privy to this development told TFT that in the 14th meeting of the caretaker provincial cabinet, decisions to this effect were taken.
Committee constituted to oversee implementation
The source maintained that the caretaker provincial cabinet also constituted a committee to oversee implementation of staffing rules and related legal and administrative issues.
The committee comprises caretaker provincial minister S.M. Tanveer as convener, provincial minister Mansoor Qadir as co-convener, chief secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman, secretary law department, secretary LG&CD, secretary tourism department, director general WCLA Kamran Lashari. Any other member may also be co-opted by the committee to serve on it.
A senior official stated that the transferring administrative control of Shahdara complex, which comprised various historical sites, is subject to the final outcome of writ petition no. 73375 of 2019 from the provincial tourism, archaeology and museum department to WCLA, for conservation and adaptive re-use on the same pattern as Lahore Fort.
The secretary LG&CD briefed the cabinet that a progress review meeting of WCLA was held on March 25, 2023 under the chairmanship of caretaker chief minister Punjab, Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi. The review meeting decided that the control and management of the Shalimar Gardens and Shahdara Complex (Jahangir’s tomb, Noor Jehan’s tomb, Asif Jha’s tomb and Akbari Sarai) would be transferred from the provincial tourism, archaeology and museum department to the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA).
It may be noted that WCLA is already working in partnership with the Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), an internationally recognised conservation institute, and foreign donors have brought international methodology and best practices for conservation and tourism at the Lahore Fort and Walled City monuments, such as the Royal Kitchen, Barood Khana, Kala Burj, Akbari Hammam, Sheesh Mahal, etc. This expertise and conservation and management of the sites needs to be replicated at other prime monuments in Lahore, like the Shalimar Gardens and Shahdara Complex, the review meeting ordered.
Sources privy to this development informed TFT that the cabinet was apprised of DG WCLA Kamran Lashari's request that a notification for transfer of Shalimar Gardens and Shahdara Complex from the relevant provincial department to WCLA be issued.
“Moreover, Lashari sahib requested that chief secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman may coordinate the implementation, including transfer of staff and related legal and administrative issues,” a senior official said.
Tourism, Archaeology and Museum department wanted to retain control
The senior official recalled that during the meeting, the tourism, archaeology and museum department shared its view that the department had been implementing four schemes in Shalimar Gardens, and the condition of the same had been significantly improved over the recent times. On this basis, the department requested that management and control of Shalimar Gardens be retained by its subordinate directorate general of archaeology.
It may be also be recalled that transfer of administrative control of Shahdara Complex to WCLA had already been approved by the-then chief minister Punjab, Usman Buzdar, on October 25, 2019.
"Currently, the matter is sub-judice in the Lahore high court, and the court, vide order dated December 3, 2019, directed that transfer of operational and administrative control of Shahdara Complex shall be subject to final outcome of writ petition no. 73375 of 2019," the senior official clarified.
Accordingly, the cabinet was requested to consider and approve the transfer of administrative control off Shalimar Gardens immediately, and Shahdara Complex subject to the final outcome of writ petition from the tourism, archaeology and museum department to WCLA, for conservation and adaptive re-use on the pattern of Lahore Fort. Both requests were considered and approved by the cabinet.