Rs 4.5bn French project: Renovation of Lahore Fort, suburbs to start before year end

ISLAMABAD: The renovation of the Lahore Fort and its buffer zone will start before the year end and will be completed in five years with the financial assistance of the French Development Agency that has committed Rs 4.5 billion for the gigantic project.

An agreement for the provision of funds was inked here the other day. Kamran Lashari, director general of the Walled City of Lahore Authority, told The News on Tuesday that the renovation would be done in the fort and its buffer zone including the abandoned Heera Mandi, Taxali and adjacent parks. The plan would go to the relevant ministries before approval by the federal cabinet.

Lashari was hopeful that the government would expedite the process since the work would help enhance the grandeur of the Lahore city. The governments of Pakistan and France, represented by Agence Française de Développement/French Development Agency, have already signed a €22-million financing agreement to extend technical and financial support for the renovation of the Lahore Fort.

The Heritage & Urban Regeneration in Lahore (HURL) project aims to protect and restore a unique heritage site in Pakistan. The focus areas will be promoting tourism, generating additional economic activities and building climate change resilience for local communities. The fort and Walled City of Lahore, located in the heart of a metropolis of 11 million inhabitants, comprise a group of various singular monuments of exceptional historical and cultural value and dense ancient neighbourhoods. The listing of the fort as a World Heritage Site in Danger in 1981 by the UNESCO highlighted the many threats to its integrity.

Since 2012, the Punjab government, the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) began a decade-long conservation initiative to restore and develop the site, Lashari said and added that the French government, through AFD, was lending its support to this endeavor. French Ambassador to Pakistan Nicolas Galey said that “France is proud to be part of the ambitious plan of the Punjab government to develop and promote the unique cultural heritage of Lahore. The rehabilitation and development of Lahore Fort surroundings will be a powerful engine of sustainable economic development of the city by increasing the tourist attractiveness and improving the living conditions of the riparian populations.”

The financing of the HURL project will span over 5 years. It is expected to: (i) contribute to the restoration and enhancement of the Lahore Fort strengthening its resilience; (ii) generate additional income and employment, especially for women and the transgender community; (iii) expand tourism development by including the neighbourhoods of the fort (buffer zone) as an interface for growth; and (iv) build the capacity of the WCLA and its partners. In financing this project, the AFD is strengthening its commitment towards urban development in Lahore. This landmark project is the first in the French government’s steps to help heritage rehabilitation throughout South Asia. The AFD implements France’s policy in the areas of development and international solidarity. It finances, supports and accelerates transitions towards a more coherent and resilient world.

Comprised of the AFD which finances the public sector and NGOs; the Proparco which finances the private sector and the Expertise France for technical cooperation, the group finances, supports and accelerates transitions towards a more resilient and sustainable world. With its partners, it is building shared solutions with and for the people of the Global South.