LAHORE, Jun 28 (APP): US Consul General to Lahore Catherine Rodriguez said that preservation of historical sites by the United States government was an enduring sign of the respect the US has for Pakistan, its culture and people.
Speaking at the inauguration of renovated houses adjacent to Wazir Khan Mosque here on Monday, she said sites like the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore’s historic old city were a testament to the city’s rich and multi-layered history, adding that the US government was proud to support the restoration of three historic houses adjacent to the mosque.
Provincial Minister Auqaf and Religious Affairs Syed Saeed ul Hassan, Director General (DG) the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) Kamran Lashari and Chairman of Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan Akbarali Pesnani joined in the official dedication.
The US Consul General said the restoration of these three houses adjacent to the Wazir Khan Mosque was part of the efforts by the US Mission for preservation and renovation of several sites within the Wazir Khan Mosque area while the US government had spent nearly $1.4 million on the Wazir Khan Mosque, Chowk, and adjacent houses to restore the glory of this magnificent architecture in Lahore since 2002.
She said the restoration projects such as these preserve Pakistan’s cultural heritage and reflect the country’s historical religious diversity, adding that the Punjab government and Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan also made generous contributions to the project.
Through this rehabilitation project, the historic houses have been restored and the facades of the relatively modern structure brought into harmony with its historic neighbors.
Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan carried out this conservation and rehabilitation project between August 2019 and April 2021. The effort was enabled through technical collaboration with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA).