WCLA completes building bylaws

LAHORE
The conservation and planning department of WCLA has completed the building bylaws for the walled city of Lahore.
As a necessary step before getting the bylaws notified by the government, the bylaws have been shared with the community of entire walled city in different sessions. The sharing sessions were held in the Delhi Gate where the representatives of the residential and trading community of walled city Lahore were invited. The bylaws were translated in Urdu and a copy was given to the public. The same were read out loud and shared with them.
Director Conservation Najmus Saqib and the Director Administration were present at the public hearing. The public hearing was conducted by Deputy Director Social Mobilization Nosheen Zaidi, Deputy Director Law Mubarak Shah and Deputy Director Building Control Riffat Pasha. A large number of locals attended the public hearing and asked WCLA to give them one month time for giving their feedback. Officials said more than 100 queries were answered on the spot. Saqib said this was a good initiative to share these bylaws with the community in order to take them on board and listed to their queries. This will help us in implementing these laws and if any positive changes are required we will also incorporate them, he said.
Director General WCLA Kamran Lashari said the community of WCL is most important to the authority and he want them to feel that the authority as well as the government is with them. This public hearing will surely inculcate a sense of ownership among the community of the walled city Lahore and it will enable the teams to work in friendly and supportive environment, he maintained. Deputy Director Social Mobilization Nosheen Zaidi said these types of seminars and public hearings are important as this is a heritage site. Through such sessions we are able to communicate our objective of sustaining and restoring the heritage. I am glad that the community showed a very positive response in this

public hearing. Nadeem Jahangir, a local community member said residents had a few objections regarding these bylaws but after today’s hearing many of their queries have responded in a good manner and most of them were feeling satisfied. Farzana Malik, another local resident said for the first time she have seen a government department in such a supportive way. “This is a good initiative that the community is also being informed and educated by the WCLA,” she added. Muhammad Subhani, another local said we need to preserve heritage and this is the only way we can save it for future.