United States supports restoration of cultural sites in Lahore

LAHORE:United States Consul General in Lahore Kristin Hawkins on Thursday visited the Lahore Fort to see the progress on a US government-funded preservation project. With approximately one million dollars from the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), seven sites at the Fort are being restored, including the famous picture wall, Loh Temple, Sikh temple, Zanana Mosque, Sehdara pavilion, Athdara pavilion, and the grand Sheesh Mahal.

Consul General Hawkins said that the US Mission is proud to be partner with the Walled City of Lahore Authority and the Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan for the preservation of the magnificent Lahore Fort. She said that the Fort symbolises the rich cultural, historical, and religious heritage and diversity of Lahore, Punjab, and Pakistan. Since 2001, the United States has supported 32 AFCP cultural preservation projects across Pakistan, investing a total of $7.6 million to restore sites such as Buddhist monasteries, Hindu monuments, Sufi shrines, and relics of the Mughal empire, she added.

Kristin Hawkins said that this US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation project is a testament to the United States and Pakistan’s joint commitment to cultural preservation. Preservation work strengthens communities, builds a sense of belonging, contributes to economic development, and educates future generations about the city’s heritage of diversity and tolerance, she said.