ahore was explored in several different ways at the just-finished Pakistan Literary Festival.

According to Ahmed Shah, the events coordinator who is also the head of the Pakistan Arts Council, PLF’s inaugural iteration was arranged in Lahore in order “to honour Pakistan’s cultural capital.”

Among the sessions held during the course of the three-day festival, a few belonged truly to Lahore. For instance, a session titled Lahore Pur Kamaal looked at the city’s rich and varied history, architecture and populace. It featured noted historian and columnist Fakir Aijazuddin, architect Nayyar Ali Dada and career bureaucrat Kamran Lashari, who now heads the Walled City of Lahore Authority. The session was moderated by Sheeba Alam.

Fakir Aijazuddin walked the audiences seated inside a packed Alhamra hall into various eras in the history of Lahore, highlighting the footprints of the Mughals, the British, the Sikhs and touching on the post-Partition trends. His talk was punctuated by a multimedia presentation. He started off with the Mughal monuments like Jehangir’s mausoleum, Shahjahan’s Sheesh Mahal, Badshahi Masjid, Masjid Wazir Khan and the Bara Dari; followed by Sikh era’s Samadhi and British-period buildings.

According to historical records, the Sikhs and the British either neglected or pillaged the Mughal monuments. After independence, much of the colonial era architecture was vandalised. “You see, the Badshahi Masjid was transformed into a barood khana (ammunition dump) first by the Sikhs and then the British,” Fakir Aijazuddin pointed out. “The Governor’s House is the site of a shrine, and the Anarkali Tomb served as Lahore’s first church. We also changed history by converting Charing Cross’s Masonic Temple into the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.”

Notwithstanding these developments, some of Lahore’s heritage has withstood the test of time. But, current events pose a threat to hurt the city’s glorious past. Tremors caused by the Orange Line Metro Train can be felt around Chauburji and Shalimar Gardens, he added.

None of this should be taken to imply that there is no advantage to the city’s recent development. Fakir Aijazuddin noted: “With the help of the UNESCO and the Aga Khan Foundation, Lahore’s history is being preserved. Heritage and culture are getting their due. Lahore’s real identity is the Walled City. In 1850, Lahore had only 200,000 residents; one can imagine what will be the population of the city in 2030.”

He concluded by provoking thought on how to “recreate our history. If no conscious efforts are made, soon we will forfeit our history. We will then be left with just the past and no future.”

The next speaker on the panel was Nayyar Ali Dada, also recognised as the architect of modern Lahore. He mentioned seeing two Lahores: one, the melodious one, and the other, sour.

“It’s true that I have lost interest. When people ask me to create something, I ask them to bring me people like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Shakir Ali, then I will create another Alhamra. Buildings need people, real people.” — Nayyar Ali Dada.

First, he discussed the Lahore that used to be sweet, melodious and full of fun and frolic. He said that the colonial period had left its footprints in the form of Aitchison College, Government College, and several buildings on the Mall. He talked of the trio of Ram Singh, Lockwood Kipling and Ganga Ram whom he bracketed as the “fathers of modern Lahore.” They built Lahore brick by brick, with a blend of modern Western architecture and local input and materials. “When you demonstrate such professional competence and honesty, a place like Lahore is born.

“We were left with a challenge to carry forward the legacy of our predecessors,” he continued. “It was on our mind that we must create hybrid architecture, and that we should have buildings that have a sense of continuity. We kept in mind the economy of material, local climate and the judicious use of open spaces.”

Dada also spoke of Alhamra as an example of modern architecture that belonged to Lahore and local culture. He admitted that he hadn’t designed a building like Alhamra in a long time: “It’s true that I have lost interest. When people ask me to create something, I ask them to bring me people like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Shakir Ali. Then I will create another Alhamra. Buildings need people, real people.”

He went on to talk of the present-day Lahore as a “sour” one. “Today, the historic buildings on the Mall are ruled by commercialism and not literature and arts.”

Kamran Lashari, the WCLA chairman, briefed the audience about the Walled City. “If Lahore is the heart of Pakistan, the Walled City is the most vital organ of Lahore,” he said. “However, it has suffered from a lack of civic facilities and also because of people’s indifference. As a result, the entire Shahalam area was turned into a commercial hub.”

Eighteen years ago, the then government started working on the revival of the old city. Their efforts were eventually institutionalised in the form of the WCLA. The authority has since conserved and revived Delhi Gate, Old Kotwali Gate, Masti Gate, and Kashmiri Gate areas. “These localities have such modern and efficient civic facilities that even The Mall has yet to have,” he commented.

This did not happen overnight, he said. “We follow the concept of social clearance. Before starting any development work, first the local residents are briefed about the project and their consent is secured. This way, a sense of ownership is created among them [locals].”

He said the WCLA had already rehabilitated 85 streets and 2,000 houses. “Our efforts have served to increase tourism in androon Lahore,” he said. The tourists are afforded guided tours. Besides, colourful rickshaw rides, street performances and desi cuisine businesses have helped to improve the living conditions of the locals.

Lahore has a long way to go. In November 2019, it joined the UNESCO Creative City Network.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship