LAHORE: The archeology department and the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) are involved in blame-game on various issues, causing problems to both local and international tourists visiting the historical monuments in the provincial capital.

Officials say power seems to be the bone of contention between the two entities and the provincial government needs to immediately resolve the issue in order to facilitate the tourists’ visits to the monuments, especially the Lahore Fort that was closed a couple of days before by the officials in protest against the government for transferring its administrative and functional control to the WCLA from the archeology department.

According to documents, available with Dawn, the dispute between the two departments started after the government formally transferred control of the Lahore Fort and some other important monuments to the WCLA from the archeology department. The decision not only annoyed the archeology officials, a majority of those whose residences/quarters exist within the premises of the fort. It further originated exchange of harsh words and minor scuffles between the both WCLA and archeology officials on petty issues, leading to closure of the monument reportedly for two hours by those protesting against the government’s decision.

“The WCLA officials, Muhammad Zubair and Aftab, misbehave and beat up the officials of the archeology department residing at the fort. They not only misbehave with us but also stop entry of our relatives whenever they come to meet us,” reads a letter wrote to the director (archeology) by the officials—Hafiz Muhammad Arif, Khaliq Pervaiz and Irfan Ali on May 9. The officials also asked their senior to take action on their application, failing which they would directly take the law into their hands.

In respond to the complaint, the archeology department wrote a letter, titled “Harsh and ill-mannered behavior of the WCLA employees posted at the Lahore Fort” to the WCLA’s director (Administration) on May 19. “The behavior of the WCLA officials as mentioned in the complaint is rude with the complainant archeology officials. Therefore, you are requested to please direct your staff to avoid such practice in future and cooperate with the archeology officials living there,” the letter demands.

After the protest amid forcible closure of the fort by the archeology officials recently, the WCLA took up the matter with the senior officials of the local government, its parent department.

“During protest, the archeology officials tried to beat up one of our officials deputed there. They also threatened the staff to either move out or face their wrath. Even the protesters also halted entry of all visitors, including a high profile tourists’ delegation of the US Consulate,” the letter written by the WCLA director (Administration) says. It states that the officials’ agitation not only halted entry of the visitors but also created a security risk for the foreigners, who later led into the fort through Alamgiri Date by the WCLA staff. It says that the archeology officials are involved in hampering the tourists’ activities at the fort and other monuments unnecessarily. These monuments’ control is now under the WCLA, the archeology officials have no concern with such affairs, the letter says while seeking taking up the issue with the archeology department’s director general in order to stop ‘unlawful activities’ of the officials residing there and disrupting the official work.

On the other hand, the security agencies, including the army, have earlier expressed concern over the security arrangements of visitors at the important monuments, including Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort and Mausoleum of the Allama Iqbal.

“Due to unavailability of sufficient strength of police at the main gates of such monuments, checking of visitors (2,000 to 3,000 per day) is not being carried out properly. Apropos, keeping in view of the prevailing security situation in the country, you are requested to augment the security apparatus for the provision of foolproof security to the national historical assets,” a letter written by the lieutenant colonel (Wing Commander) of the 4-Wing (Jassar Defenders) to the police, WCLA and the Auqaf department reads.

A government official has termed the situation alarming for the two departments, saying, “Everyone must know that all the historical monuments in Lahore exist in the list of places where high security of the local and foreign tourists is required. Therefore, the disputes between these government departments on such petty issues may cause a security threat to the tourists as well as the officials deputed or living there”.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2015

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