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By Iftikhar Ahmad
MULTAN, Jul 24 (APP):A massive Rs 2 billion project to upgrade the topmost mound, hosting the historical Qasim Fort in the heart of the City of Saints, is under execution, targeting restoration of its fortification wall and reviving and preserving what encased within its beautiful step gardens, walkways, and above all the monuments signifying heritage.
Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) is executing the project since April 2025 and the mega exercise is scheduled to conclude sometime next year with hopes the charm of city’s most loved tourism spot would be more vivid, equipped with modern day facilities, and administered under a governance model with regulations that would guarantee its longevity of strength and protection of monuments.
Qasim Fort, according to some assessments, was 2600 years old, built by Katoch dynasty Rajput between 800-1000 BC. However, later it was destroyed and rebuilt by Ranghar chiefs near the city of Multan, on a hillock separated from the city by Ravi river. In recent past, the historic fort, also known as Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh, was destroyed by British colonial forces in 1848–1849 as part of a military campaign launched in retaliation for the killing of British officers, Lieutenant Alexander van Agnew and Mr. Anderson during a rebellion led by Diwan Mulraj, the then-governor of Multan. A memorial of the two officers is installed as part of a park at Qasim fort. The monuments the fort supports included the iconic 700 years old mausoleum of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam, 760 years old mausoleum of Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya Multani, and ruins of Parhaladpuri temple, believed to date back to pre-Islamic times, possibly 2500 years old. This monument, according to Hinduism, is associated with the legend of Lord Narasimha, the fourth avatar of Vishnu and the origin of the Hindu’s Holi festival. There is a stadium that was earlier used to host international cricket matches and WCLA is planned to develop a food street at the strip around it beneath the seating arrangement of spectators. “It has been decided to invite only the well reputed food brands to open their outlets at the food street,” said WCLA spokesman Umair Ghazanfar.
Contemporary reports indicate the fortification wall was two kilometer (6800 feet) in circumference and 40-70 feet high, according to www.vizit.pk blog.
WCLA is going to acquire 25 feet wide strip running between the circular road and the fort wall and it separates the walled city from the fort. The acquisition would enable WCLA to remove structures hiding the fortification wall for its visibility to tourists and conserve/rebuilt where it was missing.
Required funds have been made available for the land acquisition, says the spokesman.
Giving details of work done so far, he said that rehabilitation of a municipal library that was dysfunctional for last many years inside Qasim fort was near completion adding that water-proofing work on its ceiling was in progress. He said that the modern bricks used to build a retaining wall to support a mound slope near stadium inside the fort has been removed to replace it with a strong retaining wall to be built with original size bricks. Work on food street was also in progress. Walkways were being modified for ease of walk and plantation was being rearranged where necessary to give an orderly look instead of a jungle.
He said, a road running along the stadium would be closed and space would be developed as a green belt. Once completed, no private vehicle would be allowed to enter the stadium and only the electric carts, Rani tricycles, would operate to facilitate tourists to enjoy a trip inside the fort.
He said that Damdama, a high structure inside Qasim Fort would also be modified to improve its strength. Numerous solar panels that were installed by the energy department few years back occupy a vast grassy plot and these would be shifted on the roof of three parking spaces of the fort to supply power. A walkway would be developed to link mausoleums of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam and Hazrat bahauddin Zakariya.
There was also a proposal under discussion to build a glass tunnel that would rise from ground up to the Qasim fort to beautify the hub of monuments and give tourists a view of the city as they move upward. However, it was still a proposal and may be taken up after the project is completed.
Qasim fort would emerge as unique hub of monuments and environment-friendly tourism once the project is completed, Umair said.