18 January 2004	Sunday	25 Ziqa'ad 1424

ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: The Walled City of Peshawar, a depository of diverse tangible and intangible cultural heritage, is facing multiple dangers, a report on "Cultural tourism in Lahore and Peshawar" showed.

The report, which has been worked by the ministry of culture and tourism, UNDP and Unesco only recently, says the Walled City suffers from many urban environmental problems, a peculiar characteristic of dense urban centres. Similarly, the degradation of urban environment impacts on the residents and cultural heritages alike.

The city is not a Unesco world heritage site like the Shalimar Garden, Lahore, and Shahi Qila, however, its future nomination is planned.

The buildings in the city are crumbling into dust due to lack of adequate legal protection hence need to identify all historic structures and resources needing protection and ensuring their revitalisation through an integrated conservation and urban planning approach. The involvement of community in upgrading activities will be an essential element of all these programmes, the report underlines.

Crafts and intangible heritage such as folklore, poetry, song and dance play an integral part in the culture of the Walled City. These are, however, under threat from the modern world and pressure of globalization.

About the cultural tourism issues, the report says the city does not present a hospitable environment for the visitors. There is lack of amenities and essential services for the tourists. In particular, there is lack of authentic information to inform and explain to the tourists the cultural heritage of the area.

In order to preserve these threatened assets, the study argues that an inventory should be prepared to identify their diverse forms. The study says the future of the Walled City as a heritage site and tourism venue is completely dependent on the rehabilitation of its urban fabric in order to preserve what remains of the past and bring it up to the standards of the 21st century.

The study also recommends implementation of a rehabilitation master plan to upgrade the environment involving a wide variety of stakeholders, with particular focus on Peshawar's traditional bazaars.

A crafts training centre for women is proposed that will offer training in the endangered skills of wax painting on cloth. Over time it is planned that the teaching scope will diversify and in the process help save the crafts from extinction.

The study proposes that the development of Gor Khatree by the NWFP government as a cultural tourism node should be supported and augmented by further linkages to the Walled City.

A special section of the proposed Peshawar Heritage Centre, the Funding Advisory Cell, has been proposed to investigate sources and mechanisms for funding conservation and cultural tourism.

The cell would manage the proposed endowment fund for assistance to the heritage property conservation.