June 22, 2002

The World Heritage Centre has revised its policy regarding the protection of world heritage monuments owing to its bad money matters. The director of the Paris-based world body, Francisco Bandarin, was in Lahore recently together with a conservation specialist. He told the men from the archaeology department about the difficulties the World Heritage Centre was facing in taking care of around 560 historical and natural monuments and assisting member states in their upkeep by way of providing technical and financial help.

The financial degradation of this centre is directly linked to the depletion of financial resources of the Unesco, also headquartered in Paris. The member states have applied a cut on its subscription and this has had an adverse affect on the World Heritage Centre. Consequently, its board of directors has now decided to annually accept only a maximum of 30 monuments from all over the world for assistance.

This policy will certainly serve as a setback to Pakistan’s efforts to seek international protection and assistance for many of its historical monuments. Islamabad had not too long ago requested the World Heritage Centre for the addition of six Mughal-period buildings to its list of international heritage. The monuments waiting for such a status were the tomb of Jahangir, the Akbari Sarai, tomb of Asif Jah and the tomb of Noorjahan in Shahdara across the Ravi from Lahore, and Sheikhupura Fort and Hiran Minar in Sheikhupura.

Francisco Bandarin was telling the concerned officers of the archaeology department in Lahore Fort last month that these monuments would have to be assessed under the new policy, This now means a wait for at least six years to get the six Mughal buildings listed with the World Heritage Centre, one on a yearly basis. The Italian national director listened with indifference to the usual bureaucratic pleas that the monuments might be added to the world heritage list as “an extension” of the already listed Mughal monuments.

Bandarin’s visit was a high profile one for the archaeology department, which formally assigned its senior officials to receive the two-member delegation right on the main passage of the Lahore Fort, the headquarters of the department’s north circle. This passage is the highest point of the city and walking through it is really fascinating. Standing here one can have a good look of at least the northern areas of Lahore. One can feel history coming alive as one walks up the way, where Mughal royalties used to come for a stroll.

Bandarin and his compatriot Italian colleague were taken around many parts of the Lahore Fort and the Shalimar Gardens and were shown the conservation work in progress. The world body officials praised the work and seemed to be impressed with its quality. They particularly showed their liking for “the excellent” excavation work at Taxila, the country’s richest archaeological centre, which they had visited earlier.