The mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi is going to be illuminated on December 17 with a new state of the art chandelier made of fine crystal and 8.3 kilogrammes of 24 carat gold.
President Mamnoon Hussain will inaugurate the newly crafted chandelier on Saturday (Dec 17) which is a gift by the Chinese government.
The chandelier will replace the older one also gifted by China in 1970. Adviser to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Division Irfan Siddiqui, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar and Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong will attend the ceremony wherein 40 Chinese engineers and experts will also join them.
The efforts for replacement of the old chandelier were initiated by PM s Adviser Irfan Siddiqui after assuming charge as head of the newly created National History and Literary Heritage Division. The previous chandelier installed some 46 years back had lost its shine due to environmental pollution and corrosive atmosphere of the city.
The 23 metres long new ceiling mounted fixture weighs 1.2 tonne and has decorative lights in four arrays. It has been completed at a cost of Rs 220 million. The use of 8.3 kilogrammes of 24 carat gold adds splendour to the mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan. The Chinese government offered to undertake this project after an eight-member delegation headed by Yan Jianming Counsellor Economic and Commercial Office of China’s Consulate General in Karachi along with Miao Qisong Vice General Engineer Director Research Department of Structure Beijing Institute of Architectural Design visited Quaid’s mausoleum for the first time on November 12, 2013.
Another six-member delegation headed by Wang Zhihua Counsellor Economic and Commercial Office of China’s Consulate General in Karachi along with specialised structural engineers and 3D scanning experts visited the mausoleum on August 05 2015 to collect necessary structural data required for the replacement of old chandelier.
The drawings of the chandelier were later shared with the government of Pakistan. The draft agreement was finalised and shared with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Economic Affairs Division for signing with the Chinese side on June 10, 2016. The Chinese side through their embassy in Islamabad agreed to sign the Implementation Agreement and the signing ceremony took place on July 19, 2016, at the National History and Literary Heritage Division.
The agreement was implemented through the mutual collaboration of the Ministry of Commerce China and the National History and Literary Heritage Pakistan. The project was designed and supervised by Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Company Limited. The Guangdong Kam Tat Lighting Company Limited was responsible for preparation and installation of the chandelier.
Overall it took two months in the dismantling of the old chandelier as well as the transportation of the new one from China to Pakistan and its installation during this October and November by 13 Chinese technicians. The testing of the chandelier was completed after its installation by the Chinese technicians and a handing over document was signed on December 08 2016. The old chandelier has been installed at another location within the premises of mausoleum.
