US spending $6.4m to preserve 30 Pakistani cultural heritage sites
Project to conserve Karachi’s iconic Frere Hall initiated
Karachi: The United States Consul General in Karachi, Mark Stroh, has said that America has reserved $6.4 million for preserving 30 monuments that represent the cultural heritage of Pakistan.
The American diplomat was addressing a ceremony to commence the project to conserve one of the oldest buildings in Karachi, Frere Hall, that is considered as an iconic and historical monument of the city.
The US Consulate General, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society have joined hands to begin the project to conserve Frere Hall on the occasion of 156th anniversary of the public opening of Karachi’s historical building.
The American aid was meant to preserve icons of Mughal and Gandhara periods, Hindu monuments and Sufi shrines in Pakistan.
In the past in Sindh, American financial support was utilised for restoration of tombs at Makli necropolis, Varun Dev temple and restoration of the historical Nusserwanjee building at Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture.
The American diplomat said the United States had respect for the invaluable cultural heritage of Pakistan as the latest project launched to protect the Frere Hall building exemplified the commitment of the US government to work with Pakistan to preserve the sites in the country that represent its cultural heritage.
Speaking on the occasion, Karachi’s Administrator, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, said that efforts were on to preserve historical monuments of the city so that they remained intact for another 100 years for public viewing.
He expressed gratitude to the American government for lending support to restore one of the monumental buildings of Karachi into its original shape.
He said the KMC would welcome any institution that wanted to support restoration of historical buildings in Karachi.
Karachi’s Administrator said that general public had the right to get access to such old buildings. He said that more projects would be launched to conserve such buildings.