A Rs60 billion project to restore the historic areas of the Walled City of Lahore and Circular Garden has faced significant delays due to poor coordination among government departments and legal hurdles.
The restoration initiative, launched on the directives of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, aims to rehabilitate historic gates, upgrade infrastructure, relocate shops, and construct underground parking plazas across the inner city.
Officials said several components of the project stalled due to court orders and delays in preliminary work by the Parks and Horticulture Authority.
The Lahore High Court also issued stay orders on parking plaza projects at Taxali and Sheranwala gates after the required tree relocation work was not completed.
Currently, only the underground parking plaza at Mochi Gate is under construction, while several tenders for sewerage upgrades, road rehabilitation, and restoration of historic buildings remain pending despite contracts being awarded.
Under the “Restoration of Mall Road and Historic Zone” initiative, authorities also planned development projects around Anarkali Bazaar, Jain Mandir, and other heritage sites.
However, work on many schemes, including heritage trails at several historic gates, has yet to begin.
Officials said tenders for 17 out of 25 projects have been issued, but traders and residents in the inner city remain uncertain about the timeline as infrastructure issues continue to affect daily business activities.
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