July 26, 2007	Thursday	Rajab 10, 1428

PESHAWAR, July 25: Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai has directed the district government to continue its efforts to preserve and restore the historical buildings and sites in Peshawar.

Attending a briefing here on the preservation and rehabilitation of historical sites in the city on Wednesday, he said “Peshawar has a rich historical heritage and we must develop a proper strategy to preserve that in the best interest of the people and the country”.

Secretary to Governor Azmat Hanif, Provincial Secretary Sports, Culture, Tourism, Youth Affairs, Archaeology and Museums Attaullah Khan, district Nazim Haji Ghulam Ali and volunteer Lt. Col. Mian Liaquat Shah also attended the meeting.

The governor appreciated that six out of sixteen historic gates along with certain portions of the historic city wall had been restored and constituted a committee headed by Haji Ghulam Ali to further streamline the efforts of the district government.

He said the preservation efforts would ultimately lead to economic activities in the city, including a boost to tourism.

The governor expressed his desire that an international seminar on preservation and tourism should also be arranged in Peshawar to receive technical and expert opinions.

The meeting was informed that a number of old sites and buildings of great historical importance and value were in shambles in Peshawar that required the immediate attention of authorities.—APP