Directive to beautify Shalamar Gardens

LAHORE: Tourism and Archaeology Department (TAD) Punjab has approached Parks & Horticulture Authority (PHA) Lahore for beautification of the historic Shalamar Gardens in the provincial metropolis.

A meeting regarding the beautification of Shalamar Gardens was held on Wednesday with the Adviser to CM on Tourism Asif Mehmood in the chair at the Tourism Department. Secretary TAD Capt (R) Mushtaq Ahmad, PHA DG Jawad Ahmad Qureshi, DG Archaeology Ilyas Gill, Director Archaeology Maqsood Malik and Director PHA Syed Farhat Abbas were also present. The CM’s adviser vowed that under the policy of preservation and beautification of heritage sites of the Punjab government, Shalamar Gardens would be taken care of accordingly. “Shalamar Gardens has been attracting tourists and lovers of heritage sites for centuries and with the growing number of visitors, it needs to be looked after in a more organised way,” he said. The adviser said that the government was committed to protecting the heritage sites across the province in the same manner.

PHA DG briefed about the overall situation of the historical site which is recognised by UNESCO as world heritage. Presently, 20 to 25 gardeners are working here but around 40 are required for the purpose, he said. The adviser asked the PHA DG to properly train the new staff. Asif Mehmood, who is also the chairman of PHAs in Punjab, directed the DG to take necessary measures to meet the challenge of staff shortage saying that Punjab is home to many famous landmarks, including the Shalamar Gardens.