In the Mughal period, nearly all the `protected` monuments of Lahore were either in the fort or in the walled city area. In the Sikh period of 50 years, very few came up but they were around the fort or the Punjab Civil Secretariat. In the British period, they centered around the Lower Mall area moving eastwards. The British took over from the Lahore Darbar in 1849 and within the next 25 years an array of excellent buildings came up, all of which today are `protected`, yet to everyone`s amazement once we were free have been neglected. The British period buildings include three buildings designed and built by Bhai Ram Singh, then there is the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore Museum, Punjab University Senate Hall and Town Hall. The very first two were the Tollinton Market and opposite it on the Mall the beautiful DPI (Directorate of Public Instruction) building designed and built in 1862 by Sir Ganga Ram.

With the shocking news that this historic DPI precinct is to be knocked down, I consulted five ofLahore`s outstanding expert architects and conservationists.It is surprising that the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has not acted to protect this beautiful Ganga Ram masterpiece, let alone allow the powers that be to start the demolition of some of our beautiful city`s cherished monuments. All the five experts, well-lcnown in Lahore, responded using the word: `Shocked`.

`Just how can the government let our heritage be knocl(ed down? This is criminal,` commented a former principal of the NCA. Another former NCA principal commented: `Criminal ... this Ganga Ram designed masterpiece should be conserved NOT demolished`. Yet a third former NCA principal commented: `It would be criminal to lose an important part of our history.

As I set about consulting other people, it seemed that everyone was appalled by the government plan.

To add to this situation, a Lahore newspaper carried the story that the condition of the DPI building was a danger to the staff working there, and it faced demolition.

Given the anti-conservation and anti-history mindset of our half-edu-cated rulers and bureaucracy, it seems demolition is an option they prefer. `It`s the easy way out with no monetary gains` was an interesting comment.

To get a better understanding of the condition of the DPI building as it stands today, I got two friends, both highly qualified, to visit the place. Also, an `enlightened` bureaucrat sent me several photographs of the building front as well as the inside and the bacle It is very clear from the on-site visits, and the photographs, that the brickwork is all intact, but the damp rising all around has certainly added to a probable problem. Also, the roof and the staircases are all in one piece, though one staircase has damp rising on one side. All the experts consulted believed the `damp` problem could very easily be solved, all they had to do was worl< on the damp `sides` and dry them out. Also, the entire building needed a thorough conservation and repair plan. This led to me asking about the cost and time needed.

The response was: `It will take less than a third of the cost of rebuilding, plus Lahore will not lose one of its finest Ganga Ram buildings`.

What could be more tragic forLahore`s British-era masterpieces? Let me add to what the government could achieve if it applied itself to conserving and rebuilding the building of the early British era.

The `enlightened` bureaucrat sent me photographs of the nearby Board of Revenue (BoR) building and a faraway rest house, both places with buildings of the early British period.

The BoR building is just behind the Tollinton Market and is of the later British period. It also had some rising damp. But a set of architects and designers planned a complete facelift. I must confess that the photographs stunned me.

Just to reassure myself, I walked over to Cambridge University`s architecture department. The senior staff was stunned. One comment stood out: `This is not Pakistan; it looks like a posh Spanish villa with polished wooden roofs and excellent furniture`. Another comment was that this is as good as anywhere.

When I showed them photographs of a faraway canal rest house, they were equally stunned. One comment was that it looks like a posh tourist house. Such were the views of some of the world`s finest architecture professors. Mind you these two buildings are the work ofPunjab government officials, probably using Pakistani architects and builders.

Given this, it really does seem criminal that the DPI officials have let a classic Ganga Ram-designed building of 1862, nearly 163 years old in 2025, to fall to damp and neglect. The normal annual repair and relief plans have allegedly been thrown to the `dogs` years ago. I have no idea where the funds for that essential annual repair went probably `never` planned. The readers can judge themselves.

As this story unfolded, I took the precaution of consulting a WCLA official and his comment was: `No Comment`. Hmm. But then who released the story about this amazing Ganga Ram 1862 building a `protected` monument being `demolished`. It seems the whole matter is a hush-hush affair. If, Allah forbid, this demolition is carried out, who will be the benefactor? This is a question that comes to the mind of a journalist with 54 years of working experience. So bacl( to the drawing board one went. A shopkeeper was asked by one of the persons sent to query.

His answer was: `You know Sahib who will benefit`. To this sole com-ment I have no answer. But given all that is stated above, my comment is that this 1862 Ganga Ram masterpiece must be conserved and all those responsible for this building reaching this state must be identified. One cannot comment on what should happen to them, but surely as a lifetime Lahori, one is interested in malcing sure that this ancient city and its various eras` structures should be conserved for the future generations to marvel at. If the Punjab government can achieve excellence regarding the Board of Revenue building as well as the canal rest house, it can and it surely can manage something close to that and it will be a masterpiece of conservation and management.

In the same framework, one should mention that Lahore`s old Town Hall also needs to be taken care of. Across the Partition Line in Amritsar, their old town hall has been conserved and turned into a world-class Partition Museum. In Lahore, the Bradlaugh Hall is also undergoing conservation and reconstruction. So, there is ample scope for out past in this case British-era past to be added to our long line of historic monuments. Let`s wait and see.