ecently, the Walled City of Lahore (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, promulgated by the Punjab governor, expanded the scope of the Walled City of Lahore Authority to the entire province. The WCLA was also rechristened as Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority (PWCHAA).

Earlier, the Punjab caretaker government had approved the expansion of the authority’s jurisdiction in a cabinet meeting held on October 17.

As per the said Ordinance, the Punjab chief minister will be the chairperson of the PWCHAA, while the provincial chief secretary has been appointed as its vice chairperson.

“The Walled City of Lahore Authority was already performing restoration work in other walled cities like Kasur, Multan and Bahawalpur,” says Tania Qureshi, the WCLA marketing director.

The extended jurisdiction under a comprehensive legal framework provides special institutional arrangements for effectively preserving walled cities across Punjab and preserving heritage properties.

X, formerly Twitter, has been abuzz with several individuals challenging the decision. People are raising concerns about the impact of this change in the WCLA jurisdiction on the Punjab Archaeology Department.

“The WCLA has already been handed over three of our most significant monuments: Jahangir’s Tomb, Shalimar Gardens and the Lahore Fort. These three are likely to be put on the endangered monuments’ list by the UNESCO,” says Dr Ajaz Anwar, the noted artist and conservationist.

The increased entry fee at these sites is not acceptable, he adds. At the same time, he says, the Archaeology Department is being robbed of their work sites.

A WCLA spokesperson says that the Archaeology Department “still has control over hundreds of monuments. We only work on sites commissioned to us. Proper planning goes into every project we undertake.”

Dr Anwar claims that in the past it had been decided that the income generated at these sites (no longer with the Punjab Archaeology Department) would go into a special account for the department’s use.

Allegedly, many employees have been shown the door. They have since been up in arms. “They gather at the Allama Iqbal Museum and will be taking the legal course of action,” says Dr Anwar.

There are those who say the work done by the (formerly) WCLA in Lahore over the years is proof that the monuments are in safe hands.

“As a historian, I have visited many sites being handled by the Archaeology Department and some by Auqaf, and I have noticed the lag in conservation and restoration efforts,” says Dr Mazhar Abbas. “WCLA’s work in Lahore is reflective of their capability.

“Conservation work does not end after a building has been restored,” he adds. “Proper campaigns educating people about the history of these places and the effort that goes into maintaining them are essential.”

“We prepare an environmental assessment plan before beginning work on any site,” says Qureshi in defence of the PWCHAA. “We keep hearing that environmentalists are concerned about our work. If we are told what specifically are they worried about, we might be able to address those concerns.”

Since the establishment of the WCLA, Aga Khan Cultural Trust has been a loyal ally. According to Qureshi, it is with their support - keeping in view international standards and best practices - that all ongoing projects are being carried out.

“Whenever we restore a monument, we develop a regeneration plan for adaptive reuse. For instance, after restoring Royal Kitchens in the Lahore Fort, we began renting the place for cultural events and corporate dinners.”

What the WCLA aka PWCHAA calls reuse is considered destructive by critics like Dr Anwar, who says that “by building restaurants in heritage sites we may be causing more damage to the fragile structures.”

The writer is a staff member