January 11, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 10, 1426

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LAHORE, Jan 10: Governor Khalid Maqbool has stressed the need for preserving the rich cultural heritage of the city of Lahore. Speaking at ‘The Lahore Sessions: Urbanism and the Global Outlook’ at the Alhamra Art Centre here on Tuesday, he said a lot had been done for the preservation of the heritage of the colourful and exciting city of Lahore but a lot more was still required to be done for the preservation of historical monuments like the Badshahi Mosque, Governor’s House and the Cathedral.

He said architects and town planners were required to meet the challenges posed by the rapid growth of Lahore. Half of it had extended towards north and while the remaining half was expanding towards the south.

He said Lahore should have stretched across the River Ravi instead.

He said the architects were required to guide the people about appropriate structure designs and colours of houses. New housing colonies had big houses with separate bedrooms for the children but did not have common facilities. These colonies had no places where people could get together and define the purpose of collective living.

He said green areas in the city also required protection. Transportation problems created due to expansion of the city also required to be solved amicably. He lauded the efforts being made by the Tajdeed-i-Lahore Committee for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the city.

Speaking on the development of Lahore through the ages, Fakir Syed Aijazuddin said its buildings had a blend of Islamic and British architecture. The buildings of Moghal era had wide open spaces in front so that the viewers could appreciate their majesty and beauty.