These are interesting times we live in
The gazette notification for the Pakistan Antiquities Act 1975 was issued in Jan 1976 by the then Pakistan People’s Party government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Its aim was to protect and preserve any monument or antiquity more than 75 years old. The Act prohibits any encroachment within 200 feet, and the demolition of any structure or billboard that restricts a clear view or mar the beauty of the monument. It is the same Act that has been cited in the decision of the Lahore High Court case with respect to the Orange Line train. The underlying principal of this act is that our heritage is irreplaceable and should not be sacrificed at the altar of so called modernity and development.
In 1977, Mr Bhutto was overthrown and in 1979 after the dubious decision of the Supreme Court, hanged. Now, there is genuine concern that due to government pressure the enforcement of the Antiquities Act too will suffer the same fate as the leader of the parliament that enacted it into law. Although the law itself is fairly clear in enunciating what can and cannot be done, our courts could take a varying view in its interpretation, as in the past.
For instance in 1954 Justice Munir in the case of Maulvi Tamizzudin vs the Federation of Pakistan invoked the ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ or in his words “that which is otherwise not lawful is made lawful by necessity”. In the case of Nusrat Bhutto vs Federation of Pakistan the judgement stated that “legality can have no application to a situation where the breach of legal continuity is admitted to be of temporary nature and for specified limited purpose”. As a consequence, the country had to suffer a despicable dictator for eleven long years as the intervention was neither temporary nor limited. But all that is… now a moot point.
When we lived in Islamabad in the 1990s, a new settlement called Bani Gala emerged, this was an illegal development as it squarely lay in the water catchment area of Simly Dam that supplied drinking water to Islamabad, and any waste water from Bani Gala would undoubtedly have ended up in the Rawal lake, which provided drinking water to Rawalpindi. However one of the main landowners there was a certain Dr Qadeer Khan, referred to as the father of the bomb – an accolade that rightfully belonged to Z A Bhutto. Nonetheless, Dr Khan became, what in Latin is referred to as “in locus parentis” or “in place of the parents”, and consequently a very powerful person.
Opposing Dr Khan was the Margalla Hills Society led by many former bureaucrats and other tree huggers, twenty five years on as they say, the rest is history – not only is Bani Gala a thriving community but it is also home to one Mr Imran Khan and many other influentials despite its status that is in gross violation of the Islamabad Master Plan. So much for the rule of the environment (or rule of law).
As a realist one must therefore prepare for the worst and redraw the definition of historical buildings. Mr Shoaib Hashmi the prescient script writer of the program Such Gup (honest gossip) in 1973 had predicted this and forty years ago said that we should declare WAPDA house and Minaar e Pakistan as the new heritage buildings. I wholeheartedly agree but would like to add two more monuments to this list.
WAPDA House should be chosen as a monument, because it has more than meets the eye in similarity with the Taj Mahal, they are both white in color and have a dome on top, similarly it also suffers from discoloring due to pigeon excreta. Just as the construction of Taj Mahal bankrupted the nation, WAPDA too with it unending appetite for cash or circular debt is bankrupting this country. – Definitely a top candidate.
Minar e Pakistan and its associated Minto Park too is a good candidate as a monument. In addition to its historical significance and association with the Lahore Resolution, I believe its attractiveness is being further enhanced by our Khaadim e Alaa who is constructing a water park there. An excellent step that would provide much needed entertainment for the city. Particularly an opportunity for well healed Lahori ladies to wear their latest Burkinis now that they are banned from doing so in Cote D’ Azure.
Of course Minaar e Pakistan has the added advantage that just as the Emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the Agra fort by his son Aurangzeb and would gaze at the Taj from his prison window, any future ruler who falls afoul of his successor and is to be imprisoned in the Lahore fort (until recently it was an actual prison). Could also gaze at the Minaar, not to mention the burkinis.
However, my personal favorite as a candidate for a heritage site is the Signal Free Corridor, this not only has been blessed by the Supreme Court but would also make my Stanford transportation professor turn in his grave. Although this corridor contravenes numerous articles of the Highway Code, yet it is still showcased as a symbol of “heritage” modernity. Not only is there no place for trucks and trailers to turn – as is required by the code, but pedestrians or cyclist who wish to cross the road must carry their bicycles, load and children up and down a full two stories flight of stairs at designated overhead crossings. Motorcyclist, in particular, wishing to turn must weave through oncoming fast traffic before they can negotiate a turn, thereby significantly increasing their insurance premiums. – So much for a porous, pedestrian and cycle friendly city.
The New Metrobus Bridge over the Ravi at Shahadra is another candidate, this bridge has a special place for all Lahoris, legend has it that during the 1965 war a man in green clothes stood on this very bridge and caught all bombs dropped by incoming Indian planes and depositing them safely in the river. Well soon the same gentleman will have to protect not one but two bridges, as we have a spanking new one just for the Metrobus. For economic considerations all over the world metrobuses and cars share the same bridge, but not in Lahore, because while the rest can suffer for hours in traffic, our metrobus riders must be speedily whisked away. Accordingly it deserves a place of pride in the list of Lahore’s precious antiquities.
The above cynicism aside, let’s hope that the Supreme Court’s decision in the Orange Line case, takes into consideration that it is singularly and jointly incumbent on us to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining the integrity and authenticity of our unique and priceless heritage for all times to come. As an ancient Chinese philosopher once said, “if all this is tolerable, then what is intolerable?”.