via http://www.ipsnews.net By Irfan Ahmed – LAHORE, Pakistan, Aug 11 2013 (IPS) – Zahid Husain, 25, is a salesman in the Pakistan city Lahore. He sits idly on the pavement of a clothes shop and plays a game on his cell phone, oblivious to the changes in the city all around him.
The road to the shop is closed to motorised traffic. Structures are being demolished, and there is digging and construction all over the place. The shop, which was busy with customers, is half-closed and unlit. Husain switches the lights on only when someone arrives, to save on electricity.
But business is down in this historic part of the city only because it is being revived. The walled city as it is called because this was once the fortified centre, has been picked for rehabilitation and conservation under a multi-donor programme.
–snip–
The World Bank and the government of Punjab province have contributed 700 million Pakistani rupees (seven million dollars) each for the first phase of the project, to be completed in November this year. The Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is providing technical assistance and consultancy. The trust promotes physical, social, cultural and economic revitalisation of people and places in the Muslim world.
More IPS – Lahore Going Back To Its Old Ways | Inter Press Service.
Related: Walled City of Lahore: Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s work helped develop a Geographical Information System (GIS)
Lahore authorities battle to restore splendour of ancient Walled City | The Guardian
Ismailimail 