Renovation of Lahore Fort as part of the ‘Heritage and Urban Regeneration of Lahore Fort and its Buffer Zone Project
Pakistan and France have signed a Credit Facility Agreement of €22 million (more than $22 million) for the renovation of Lahore Fort as part of the ‘Heritage and Urban Regeneration of Lahore Fort and its Buffer Zone Project’, according to a press release issued by the French embassy.
The Government of Pakistan and the French Development Agency (FDA) signed the agreement in the presence of high-ranking officials, including Federal Secretary for Economic Affairs Division (EAD) Mian Asad Hayaud Din, Ambassador of the French Republic Nicolas Galley and the Country Director of the French Agency for Development (AFD) Philippe Steinmetz. The Director-General of the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), Kamran Lashari, also attended the signing ceremony.
“France is proud to be part of the ambitious plan of the Punjab government to develop and promote the unique cultural heritage of Lahore. The rehabilitation and development of the Lahore Fort surroundings will be a powerful engine of sustainable economic development of the City by increasing the tourist attractiveness of the places and improving the living conditions of the riparian populations,” said the French Ambassador while highlighting that the French government, through AFD, is pleased to be lending its support to this endeavor.
The PC-1 of the project was approved by CDWP on 9 August 2021 and the Federal Cabinet accorded approval to the signing of the loan financing agreement with AFD on 5 July 2022. The cost of the project is Rs. 4036.590 Million (US$ 22.880 million), including a Foreign Exchange Component (FEC) of Rs. 3662.68 Million (AFD share).
HURL Project
Heritage & Urban Regeneration in Lahore (HURL) project aims to protect and restore a unique heritage site in Pakistan with the primary focus on promoting tourism, building climate change resilience for local communities and generating additional economic activities.
Goals of HURL Project
The financing of the HURL project will span over five years and is expected to achieve the following goals:
- Contribute to the restoration and enhancement of the Lahore Fort strengthening its resilience
- Generate additional income and employment, especially for women and the transgender community
- Expand tourism development by including the neighborhoods around the fort (buffer zone) as an interface for growth
- Build the capacity of WCLA and its partners.