ISLAMABAD: The US embassy has dropped a $1.22 million project to save the crumbling Sheikhupura Fort, a cultural heritage site, because of the failure of authorities concerned to make progress to meet the objectives.

“The US embassy is working with federal and Punjab provincial authorities to identify another site to receive cultural preservation funding,” spokesperson Cynthia Harvey said.

After the National Heritage Ministry’s failure over the past three years to make satisfactory progress towards the objectives, the US State Department closed the project last month. It was scheduled to end in September this year.

Built during the rule of Emperor Jahangir, the fort had been dangerously damaged over the years and closed to visitors.

Official documents reveal that turf fights between the ministry’s bureaucrats and archaeologists frustrated the US aid administrators into withdrawing support for the restoration of the fort.

“Last year, the US embassy had warned that the funding would be stopped because the ministry had failed to appoint a qualified project director for the conservation. Instead it had made in charge a government official who was not competent for the job,” an official of the ministry said.

The documents also show that while the US embassy listed its reasons for abandoning the conservation efforts, the ministry accused the Americans of failure of the project.

The project was initiated in 2010. A year later, devolution of powers delayed the project by two years. The site was transferred to the Punjab government after the 18th Amendment, but the province declined to accept the project because of lack of resources.

“The restoration work was again assigned to the department of archaeology and museums after the Punjab government granted a no-objection certificate and an agreement was signed between the US embassy and the department to start the conservation efforts in 2013,” the official said.

Over the past year, the embassy made efforts to move forward on the project through increased consultations and by providing expertise on the subject. It also amended the grant details in September 2013 to provide more resources.

The US department communicated several requirements to continue the support.

“However, to date the ministry has not met them,” the US department said in a letter to the Ministry of National Heritage.

“Failure to follow the requirements of the award and special award conditions and failure to provide updated detail on the project timeline of activities and staffing, and to appoint the programme director for the conservation project,” were the reasons the embassy gave for closing the project without meeting the objectives.

In its response, the ministry blamed the embassy for not releasing funds in time to meet the requirements of the project.

The documents show that while the ministry had utilised more than Rs5.5m in 2014, it required another $150,000 to make progress.

“No physical progress was possible without financial resources, which were not released by the US embassy,” the ministry said.

National Heritage Secretary Muhammad Azam said the restoration process had remained slow.

“There was a time constraint from the US government, which could not be met. We are now exploring options to direct funds towards another project,” he said.

The embassy is collaborating with the ministry to preserve the cultural heritage at 18 sites, including the recent start of restoration at Sultan Ibrahim Bin Mirza and Sultan Muhammad Isa Tarkhan tomb in Makli Hills.

Published in Dawn January 26th , 2015

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