Islamabad: The Lahore Fort, which is a "16th-century jewel of Mughal architecture and has but one rival in the subcontinent the Agra Fort" in India, is facing decay, a leading Pakistani daily has said.
An editorial in the Dawn Monday said that a wedding function on the historical Lahore Fort premises "by a party with connections in the Punjab government once again comes as an instance of bending the rules to please `friends`."
"This was done in blatant violation of the rules set by Unesco, which has enlisted the fort on its World Heritage list of endangered monuments."
It described the Lahore Fort as "16th-century jewel of Mughal architecture (which) has but one rival in the subcontinent: the Agra Fort, which is arguably less spectacular but for its view of the Taj Mahal from one of the balconies".
"The 17th-century Shish Mahal Palace inside the Lahore Fort indeed has no rival in the entire region; international donors recently saved it from further decay at a hefty cost by bolstering its falling ceiling."
The editorial lamented that the "the ban on the holding of functions inside the fort was observed only in its breach during the Pervez Musharraf regime; it now seems that the sorry trend has continued under the present Punjab government which is the official custodian of Lahore`s Mughal monuments".
"The fort is particularly at high risk of decay, given its location, sandwiched as it stands between two major city arteries plagued by carbon emissions by heavy vehicular traffic."
The warnings by experts that "the unique tile work adorning the outer walls of the fort is now in an advanced state of decay due to aerial pollution and vibrations caused by heavy traffic" have fallen on deaf ears, it said.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.