LAHORE: Questions are being raised about the criteria mentioned in an advertisement for the appointment of the head of the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) that seems to be tailored allegedly to accommodate a `favourite candidate`.

The post of the WCLA director general has been lying vacant since this midMay, following resignation of former bureaucrat Kamran Lashari on intervention of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The court was hearing a case regarding the holding of private functions at historical monuments and protected heritage sites, including the Lahore Fort.

Mr Lashari stepped down amid criticism over the use of such sites for commercial events, which the court observedviolated the preservation norms.

The WCLA was established as an autonomous body in April 2012 and its jurisdiction was expanded across Punjab after the provincial cabinet`s approval in November 2023. Mr Lashari had been serving as its DG since the authority was established.

Interestingly, in a related development, a new organisation has been set up, titled the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival (LAHR), whose objectives were exactly the same as that of the WCLA restoration and preservation of the historical sites. To top it, PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif is to serve as its patron-inchief of its steering committee.

The WCLA has given an advertisement to fill the vacant post but the criteria it mentioned raised eyebrows.

According to the advertisement, the WCLA DG should have the following qualifications and experience requirement -Master`s degree (2nd division) from an HEC recognised university inUrban Planning or Archeology or Architecture or Social Sciences, 15 years` experience of management or academic in the field of heritage, culture or urban planning, an officer of Punjab government of the rank and status of BPS-20 and above possessing the prescribed qualifications and experience mentioned and age limit between 52 and 63.

However, the WCLA Act 2012 is silent on the academic milestones, and age limit for this position that created opportunity for some individuals to `tailor the job requirements`.

`According to the Act, academics in the fields of heritage, culture, or urban planning should have a degree of archeology and urban planning. Why is a Master`s degree in architecture and social sciences also the requirement? This is a clear violation of the WCLA Act since academics in the field of architecture and social sciences are not mentioned in the Act,` a source, privy to the development, said.

He further questioned `if a profes-sional degree in related fields is desired for this position, why engineering degree is not required when more than 70pc of the WCLA`s projects are infrastructure development works`.

The source further asked, `Why only serving civil servants of BPS-20 or above eligible for this position? Is anyone from the private sector who possesses the required qualifications not eligible for this position?` A complaint has also been submitted to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to look into the matter.

In response to Dawn`s query, WCLA spokesperson Tania Qureshi said: `It is the same advertisement given in 2012 when its first DG was to be appointed. It`s ToRs (terms of reference) framed by the government back then (2012) and there are no additions, subtraction or any other change in the Act. The ad is exactly as per the WCLA Act`.

The last date to apply for the post is July 17. zuigernain Tahir