LAHORE: A soft launch of Akbari Gate and the Curator’s House took place at the Lahore Fort on Wednesday.

Work at the sites has been carried out as part of the Heritage and Urban Regeneration: Tourism Development in Lahore Fort and its Buffer Zone (HURL). Launched in 2022, it is a collaborative initiative between the Walled City of Lahore Authority, now Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority (PWCA) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

The project is being implemented by the Project Management Unit (PMU) of PWCA and Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan, says a press release.

The opening was attended by Juliette Le Pannerer, Project Team Manager of AFD, Urban Development and Ahsan Paracha, Urban Development Expert, and Tanveer Sahoo, Project Director of the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority.

‘Labour of love that combines with creativity, passion’

The AKCS-P team was represented by CEO Tausif Khawaja, Director Conservation and Design Wajahat Ali, Shukurullah Baig, Head of Conservation and Planning, and Naheed Iftikhar, Manager Conservation and Urban Design. The opening of both sites was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Director General of the Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority (PWCA) Najmus Saqib said: “The conservation of Akbari Gate and the Curator’s House forms part of PWCA’s broader efforts to improve public access to Lahore’s historic sites, attract more visitors, and create opportunities for sustainable economic activity.The reopening of the Akbari Gate will reconnect the Walled City to the Lahore Fort and repurposing the Curator’s House into an eatery will provide a new public attraction.”

The visiting team gathered outside the Curator’s House, the first monument to be inaugurated. The structure, built during the British era served as Fort’s guard room to fend off potential threats and was later used for administrative purposes. Up until recently, the Curator’s House was divided into two houses where local residents resided, separated through the centre of the structure; multiple walls had been added to the rooms.

Describing the philosophy behind the conservation of historic sites, CEO AKCS-P Tausif Khawaja said: “The conservation work carried out at the Lahore Fort by our technical teams is a labour of love that combines creativity, passion and hard work. “As an organisation we strive to preserve historic structures that are glorious symbols of our rich cultural heritage while engaging local communities and implementing our interventions in a way that benefits them. With the inauguration of these monuments, we hope to restore and revive historic symbols, offer improved cultural spaces to a larger number of people and in the process generate economic activity conducive to the people.”

Next, the visiting delegation proceeded to the Akbari Gate. One of the main entrances to the Fort, the Akbari Gate was cordoned off during the British rule. The conservation of the structure has now been completed and a ticketing booth will be added in the near future to allow it to serve as a fully furnished entry point for visitors, offering easy access to residents of the walled city once again.

The team also visited the Akbari Mahal, Kala Burj and British Barracks to review the progress of their conservation.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2026