LAHORE, June 22: The Punjab government is considering banning demolition or alteration of all buildings of historical importance in the Walled City so as to protect them under the World Bank-funded project of the restoration of the historical places.

Official sources informed Dawn on Friday that a decision would soon be announced in this connection.

At present, the government could protect any building under the Premises Act 1985, but its related procedure was lengthy and cumbersome, they said.

They explained that under the law the government could, through the archaeology department, send a notice to the owner of a building which it wants to be protected. The building could then be declared protected premises only after a reply from the owner.

Under the proposed arrangements, demolishing or altering buildings of historical importance would altogether be banned, giving no chance to their owners to explain their point of view, or resist.

Sources said the project administration had already conducted a survey of all old buildings in the Walled City through the National College of Arts. The study was based on a 1987 data which had indicated the presence of 1,427 such buildings in the Walled City.

But, it revealed that around 40 per cent of such buildings had been demolished and built anew or included into expanding markets. “We now want to immediately stop demolition of more buildings to protect whatever heritage we have,” the sources said.

Following the announcement of the decision, they said, the government would form a committee to be headed by a senior officer for planning how to restore and renovate the enlisted buildings.

The committee would work on the pattern of the Tajdeed-i-Lahore Committee looking after all buildings on The Mall, they said. It would first restore buildings along the Royal Passage from Delhi Gate to the Fort and then those in the rest of the Walled City.