Data collection about missing gates: WCLA urged to establish a viable research cell

LAHORE: Conservationists, archeologists and academia have suggested the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) to establish a well-coordinated research cell to collect data about the missing gates of the Walled City.

In this regard, a discussion session was held at Barood Khana in Lahore Fort here on Thursday. WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari chaired the session while renowned archeologists, conservationists, academia and officers of WCLA and archeology departments participated.

In the opening remarks, WCLA DG informed the participants about the missing gates of the walled city and asked them to give suggestions about the proposal of construction of six missing gates. Presently the walled city has six gates including Delhi Gate, Bhatti Gate, Sheranwala Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lohari Gate and Roshnai Gate while the missing gates are Shahalam Gate, Texali Gate, Mochi Gate, Akbari Gate, Masti Gate and Yakki Gate.

The participants appreciated the move of WCLA to complete the 12 gates of the old city and suggested that before starting the project there was a need of proper research and data collection. They said first of all we need to know the exact location and designs of the missing gates, they said adding for this purpose the academia as well as local residents should be involved in the process of data collection.

They further said that involvement of local residents may help in gathering precious private records from the residents and also cause a thrill and competition among the local community that the gates of their side of the city are being constructed.

Some of the participants also raised objections over the project and stated that reconstruction of the missing gate was not considered conservation and what was the need of constructing a missing monument, which has vanished from the ground. They further said that the WCLA should focus on the conservation and restoration of the existing gates and other monuments coming under its jurisdiction. The experts said the construction of missing gates may cause problems for the local communities as the sites were already encroached or developed with the passage of time. The representatives of archeology department told the meeting that no data of the sites of the missing gates was present in the official records. They said in 2005, the then government decided to conduct a study on the missing gates and National College of Arts (NCA) was engaged but the project was not carried out due to non-availability of funds.

Some of the participants were of the view that international scholars should also be included in the process of research and data collection to ensure authenticity of data. WCLA DG Kamran Lashari appreciated the suggestions given by the participants and said that further meetings will be held on this project to narrow down the future course of action.