From the numerous press clippings and visuals that I have archived over the years, a pattern of vandalism emerges. It is apparently geared towards a money-minting activity at the expense of our cultural assets. (I only need to digitise my fast yellowing print records so that these can be shared and the culprits exposed and shamed.)

A clipping, dated January 19, 1985, reported that while vacating the notorious torture cells of Lahore Fort, the police personnel had made away with numerous antiques. The list included 250 guns of Sikh and British eras, and 700 swords from the Mughal and princely states’ eras. The confiscated arms were also stored there and embezzled. The Department of Archaeology had been unable to recover these antiques. Dr Rafique Mughal, the then director, had tried hard to reconcile the inventory. Now that the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has forcibly taken possession of all collections and banished the archaeology staff along with the old records, who can take on the adventurers from the Wild West.

It all began with the founding of the Parks and Horticultural Authority (or PHA) which promised us Lahoris the proverbial sabz bagh. Only it proved to be a well-thought-out ‘perks and hurticulture autarchy’. On September 30, 2001, lay masons equipped with electric grinders saddled the 250 years old Zamzama, or Kim’s Gun, that had helped Ahmad Shah Abdali win the Third Battle of Panipat. The grinders erased some of the inscriptions on its bronze barrel. The inscriptions in relief as well as in etchings had information about the gun, its technician, Nazir Shah, and how it was cast in the “lost wax” technique.

The greenish, noble patina, protected against further oxidisation, looks beautiful. Little did the laymen understand the aesthetics and metallurgy (the term “Patina” is pronounced as Piatina.) It happened right in front of the NCA and the Lahore Museum.

The PHA made no attempt at planting local species because those could be had for a pittance. Foreign flora, which cannot flourish in this climate, were encouraged. The seasonal, short-lived, and labour-intensive flower beds impressed the upper class that already had a tapestry of such weeds in their palatial bungalows.

Once entrenched, the PHA bagged lucrative contracts (as reported in various papers). On June 30, 2005, Zulqernain Tahir reported that despite opposition from the Archaeology Department, the PHA had been awarded two contracts worth Rs 40 million for the restoration and upkeep of the lawns of the Shalamar Gardens and Lahore Fort. The two monuments are on the World Heritage Sites list. The PHA has no expertise to restore or maintain historic sites. They are unaware of the manual drawn by the UNESCO to tackle ancient gardens.

More horrors were included in the prescribed procedure: the upper soil to be scrapped, capped with canal silt, pesticides, and earthen flowerpots placed in both the gardens. Now it is in highly bad taste to line Mughal-era gardens with such pots.

The Punjab Archaeology Department had strongly opposed intervention by laymen. Moreover, the contract did not bear signatures of the director general, as it turned out. Dr Abdul Rehman even said that it was mere propaganda that the PHA could undertake such projects. Only specialists could proceed with such a delicate task, that too after proper research.

The PHA might damage the soil evidence of Mughal period by replacing it with new soil. Dr Mahmud Hussain, a former chairman of Department of Architecture, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), promised to inform the committee of the possible damage the PHA could cause to the monuments.

Further, several parties were arranged inside these protected monuments to milk more money, while the city lords and the town nazim looked the other way, or turned a blind eye to the ban. For the uninitiated, such events are not allowed at these monuments as these are considered a threat to their conservation. Moreover, the fermenting food brings in birds and rodents. Reports have it that the UNESCO has already placed Shalamar Gardens on the endangered sites’ list, and urged the concerned authorities to take remedial measures.

More recently, the Nishter Town nazim, Major (retd) Rafique Hasrat, and his union councillors hosted a lunch in honour of a guest from London. Sources say that the nazim hadn’t sought permission from the Archaeology Department.

Currently, many fountains are either broken or non-functional. These require immediate attention. Outside the peripheral walls of both the World Heritage monuments, heavy traffic and encroachments are a threat to their very existence. Under the Antiquities Act, 1975, no construction is allowed within 200 feet of a monument. The unique hydraulic system in front of Shalamar Gardens was destroyed at the altar of road widening.

In 1998, following an appeal by this scribe, Tani Guchi, a UNESCO representative, came over to witness the damage caused to the marvel of water supply. Wafa Batool was another witness to the apathy.

Only a month after that a piece of reporting on March 13, 2005, vehemently questioned our obsession with holding cultural shows at the Jahangir’s Quadrangle inside the Lahore Fort.

So far, considerable damage has been done to these monuments and many of their crumbling structures. This must stop.

The Archaeological Survey of India has never allowed any function to be held inside the Red Fort. Even on India’s Republic Day, which falls on January 26, the state functions are held outside the Fort. Hundreds of thousands of bamboos are held together with ropes to form the stage where the highest state honours such as Padma Bhushan are presented.

Jahangir’s Tomb is a predecessor of the Taj and the first mega project of Lahore, according to noted archaeologist Naeem Iqbal. These monuments on the World Heritage List deserve respect. Moreover, Jahangir is the only Mughal Emperor buried in Pakistan.

Mahmood Zaman’s State Vandalism On History, published by Vanguard, gives a brief history of the Archaeological Survey of British India under Sir Alexander Cunningham. It outlined the general history of the antiquities and their importance vis-à-vis the responsibilities of the public as well as the government.

Mahmood Zaman states that the monuments on World Heritage list cannot be handed to any other agency other than the central government. The PHA wanted control of Jahangir’s Tomb and Shalamar Gardens, for promotion of day and night tourism. The federal government itself is under obligation to maintain these listed monuments. The UNESCO convention of October 16, 1972, has been cited as ground for refusal.

Moreover, the Antiquities Act adopted by the National Assembly in 1972 prevents acquisition of these monuments by any other agency. The Lahore High Court has also, in two judgments, ruled that the monuments cannot be handed over to any other agency. The common perception is that the PHA lacks the expertise to handle these historical edifices.

The PHA wanted to turn the entire area into a 24/7 picnic area. The former director general of Archaeology Department, Mohammad Ishtiaq Khan, notes that these monuments have been listed in Category A, which is an honour for any country. If this status is taken away, the UNESCO will not publish information about these, and any aid for their upkeep would be withheld.

             To be continued

(This dispatch is dedicated to Prof Dr Mahmud Hussain, member of UNESCO Technical Committee)

The writer is a painter, a founding member of Lahore Conservation Society and Punjab Artists Association, and a former director of NCA Art Gallery. He can be reached at ajazart@brain.net.pk