Akbari
gate is named after the Mughal emperor Jala-Ud-Din Muhammad Akbar‘, who rebuilt
the town and the citadel. Close to this gate the emperor also founded a market,
which was named Akbari Mandi. It is the biggest retail market of Lahore, in
which food grains of all kinds are available. The unfortunate story of this
gate is that it is one of those that were demolished by the British during the
Raj. I am not feeling very proud while telling you about this very gate. Now it
is just a trash yard and not a cultural heritage. Sadly there is no trace of
monuments and our old heritage; all that is left for us is only the mess
scattered there by the materialistic greed of humanity. When you walk through
this gate it seems like it’s some kind of hell, filled with dust and animal
waste in the air that even covers all the edibles sold there. Surprisingly
people are living there, doing their businesses and very proudly contributing
in increasing to the vast waste of garbage lying there.
The
walled city covers an area of around 256 hectares and has a population of
around 200,000. The area is dotted with mosques, havelis (enclosed mansions
with courtyards) and British colonial buildings, many dilapidated. Until now,
much of the restoration and demolition work in the old city has been piecemeal,
unregulated, and often privately funded. Three years ago the Norwegian
government gave $1.6 million to Unesco to begin restoration work and to draw up
a master plan for the Punjab government to follow.
The
World Bank has committed to give $10 million towards the conservation and
restoration of the infrastructure of the walled city of Lahore, which despite
its historical significance, has been crumbling for decades. The announcement
of the new funding was made by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the chief minister of
the Punjab, at the end of January. He also announced that, in a separate
project, the Punjab government would spend $5 million each on the Lahore Fort
and the Shalimar Gardens. This total of $20 million should prove a significant boost
towards preserving the cultural heritage of the decaying walled city. I am
sorry to say that Akbari Gate is the part of the Walled City that our respected
Chief Minister was talking about. Politically speaking the funds will go
towards a range of improvements on the cultural and structural fabric of the
ancient Walled City, which along with the fort and mosque is envisioned as one
of Pakistan’s biggest tourist attractions. Apart from architectural
restorations, the project will include the widening of roads, the installation
of traffic lights, the removal of illegal encroachments, improvements to the
water supply and sanitation, control of pollution, and the promotion of
traditional skills and handicrafts. Implementation is not expected to be
carried out for at least a year. Please! I am not trying to compliment the
authorities. As a resident of the Old City I feel this will just prove to be
another spoof. I will put the picture in-front of you —- now you decide: will
something concrete be done now or not?
