ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China signed on Tuesday an agreement of implementing a project of manufacture and maintenance of the chandelier of the Mazar-i-Quaid.

Adviser to the prime minister on national history and literary heritage Irfan Siddiqui and Ambassador of China to Pakistan Sun Weidong signed the 13-page agreement here at the ministry of national history and literary heritage.

Secretary of national history and literary heritage S. M. Haqani and other officials were present on the occasion.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Irfan Siddiqui said that since the first chandelier was manufactured by Chinese experts, the government requested China for technical assistance to manufacture a new chandelier as well.

However demonstrating very deep and lasting love for Pakistan, the Chinese government said since they had gifted the first chandelier to the Pakistani nation, they should be provided an opportunity to manufacture a similar new chandelier, he said.

He said that work on the project started after a general understanding between the two countries while a ceremony to formally sign an agreement in this regard was held.

He said the whole nation appreciated the friendship and love of Chinese people for Pakistan adding “we are grateful to China for gift of the beautiful chandelier”.

He said that the Mazar-i-Quaid was a symbol of unity and national cohesion, adding that the decoration and care of the mausoleum was the government’s top priority.

He thanked the Chinese government and the people of China for love and long lasting friendship between the two countries.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong said: “We look forward to working closely with Pakistan in all these fields with consensus. We want to push forward Pakistan-China relations to new heights.”

He said that this chandelier was an icon between China-Pakistan friendship, adding that this chandelier was presented by Chinese government in 1971 and gifted by the Chinese Muslim Association.

He said throughout more than six decades China and Pakistan always trusted each other, understood each other and supported each other.

“We are all weather strategic cooperative partners and we have set a unique example for the state-to-state relation in this world,” he said.

Sun Weidong said that this chandelier had also represented this deep rooted friendship between the two friendly countries.

“In 2012, upon the request of Pakistan, China has agreed to provide maintenance and also make its replica and renewal of this chandelier after more than four decades,” he informed.

“Now we have formally signed the agreement of the maintenance of this Chandelier and hope in near future a new chandelier will be placed in the great building of Mazar-i-Quaid.

“Along with Pakistanis and Chinese visitors, people from all over the world visit the mausoleum to see Pak-China long time-test friendship and the symbol of friendship in this mausoleum,” he said.

He said that it would carry on this time-tested friendship generation to generation as another symbol of their deep-rooted friendship.

The detail of the chandelier: length, 23 meters; no of tiers, four; diameter of the first tier, three meters; diameter of the second tier, 2.3 meters; diameter of the third tier, 2.3 meters; and diameter of the fourth tier, 1.7 meters.

Lights in the first tier, 16; lights in the second tier, 10; lights of the third tier, eight; lights of the fourth tier, six; lights on crystal falls, eight; and weight of the chandelier, 2.3 tonnes. The total cost of the project is Rs. 220 millions.

The project of manufacturing the chandelier has been assigned to the Chinese ministry of trade, which has handed over the task of drawing the design of the chandelier and supervising other matters in this regard to the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2016