LAHORE, July 8: The federal government has notified the transfer of the Lahore Fort and the Shalamar Gardens to the Punjab. Former prime minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali had announced the transfer of the monuments to the Punjab in February this year.

Under the notification, the administrative control of the monuments has been given to the Punjab. However, the monuments will remain the property of the federal government. Both the federal and provincial archaeology departments will have to honour the agreed terms and conditions mutually decided by them.

According to the terms and conditions, 75 per cent staff of the two monuments has been transferred to the Punjab which includes a curator, an assistant curator, two archaeological conservators, craftsmen and gardeners.

The conservation of Shish Mahal initiated by the federal archaeology department last year with the financial support of Unesco will continue under its control. The other ongoing conservation related to parts of the fort and the Shalamar Gardens will also be undertaken by the federal. No timeframe has been determined to complete them.

The federal archaeology department (north circle) located on the fort premises will be shifted to the auqaf's building near the Hazoori Bagh. However, the central archaeology laboratory, the Pakistan Institute of Archaeology Training and Research and the library will remain on the fort's premises.