LAHORE: The Punjab government has stopped demolition of the outer wall of Governor House following a stay order by the Lahore High Court on Monday.

Demolition work on the outer wall of Governor House began on Sunday afternoon following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s instructions to raze it to the ground to present a clear view of the majestic building for motorists travelling on The Mall.

Earlier in the day, Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar held a meeting through videolink from Islamabad with the officials concerned to discuss matters related to the razing of the wall. Sources said the meeting discussed legal issues in the wake of the stay order granted by the court.

The sources said the Governor House premises -- barring its outer wall -- were protected under the Antiquities Act 1985. They said the wall had been built during retired Gen Khalid Maqbool’s tenure as the governor and was designed by architect Nayyar Ali Dada. “The Governor House was earlier covered by a small wall that was raised to a height of 10 feet in the wake of security threats back then,” a source said.

When contacted, an official concerned said that the Punjab government would submit its reply to the court.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2018