KARACHI: The 46-year-old chandelier at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam has been replaced by a 28-metre-tall chandelier worth around Rs220 million, which is expected to be inaugurated by President Mamnoon Hussain soon, it emerged on Thursday.

Both the new and the old chandeliers were gifted by the Chinese government.

Responding to Dawn queries, Quaid-i-Azam Mazar Management Board Resident Engineer and Secretary Mohammad Arif said the installation of the chandelier had been completed a few days back. “Currently its inspection and checking is being carried out and it may take a few days before being ready for inauguration,” he added.

The old chandelier had been gifted by the prime minister of China during his visit to Pakistan in November 1970. Seeing that the chandelier had aged, the management board wanted to have it changed, he said, adding that correspondence with Chinese companies in that regard began in 2012. In October this year, a 13-member team of experts, led by Mr Jang and Mr Liuchaio, from three Chinese companies arrived here and started working on it. After its installation, inspection and checking of the new chandelier was under way, he said.

Mr Arif said the three Chinese companies had different tasks. The Beijing Institute of Architecture and Design carried out the designing and Kampat Lighting Joint Stock Company Gaungzou manufactured it, while Longt Lighting Company had been tasked with its inspection, he explained.

According to him, the new 28-metre-tall (approximately 81 feet) chandelier has 48 blue lights, weighs around 1.2 metric tonnes, which also includes around 8.32 kilograms of solid 24 carat gold, and its total cost is around Rs220 million and it has a warranty period of 50 years.

He said the old chandelier had 48 green lights and weighed around 1.5 tonnes. The old chandelier has been put on display near the mausoleum of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, situated on the premises of the Mazar-i-Quaid, he added.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2016