THE Punjab government has finally released Rs21m allocated in this year's budget for the renovation of the Lahore Museum. Welcome as the move might be, far more needs to be done to conserve some of the museum's invaluable exhibits, many of which remain locked up in the vault for lack of exhibition space. The museum building dates back to 1894; its fixtures have long cried out for help but remained neglected because of a paucity of funds. Many wooden cabinets encasing the exhibits have been invaded by termites, endangering the exhibits while the roof in certain galleries is in dire need of repairs. Meanwhile, the museum's internal wiring and lighting has long needed to be replaced with modern fixtures to ensure that exhibits are safe from fire hazards and the galleries are well lit up.

The Lahore Museum is the country's oldest, most impressive and largest repository of national heritage that goes back to the Hindu Shahi and Gandhara periods (300 BCE). It is also home to the world-renowned Fasting Buddha, chiselled from schist stone (2nd century CE), and the finest remaining specimen of its kind. Besides, the museum houses the country's largest collection of fine miniature paintings seen in one place that hark back to the Muslim and Sikh periods (11th-18th centuries). It is these paintings made with natural dyes on handmade wasli paper, photographs and newspaper clippings from the Pakistan Movement and hand-woven carpets from the Mughal era that are perhaps most vulnerable to the elements. The museum still lacks air-conditioning which can help preserve such delicate historical relics. The sum released for the building's renovation is only start-up capital given the enormity of the task at hand. More funds must be allocated to modernise the premises to ensure that the exhibits remain in good shape.