KARACHI, Dec 13 (APP): A new and glittering chandelier installed
at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah is all set
to be unveiled on Saturday (Dec 17) by President Mamnoon Hussain.
Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Sun Weidong will also grace
the handing over taking over ceremony of the chandelier.
The 1.2 tonnes masterpiece of its kind worth Rs 220 million with
8.3 kg gold used in its preparation, has been designed by
the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Company Limited.
The institute, as the project management company from the Chinese side, was responsible for designing and supervising the project, while National History and Literary Heritage Department was the implementation agency from Pakistan.
The installation of the Chandelier by a team of Chinese experts started on October 13, and completed on November 27.
A hand over certificate was signed on December 8, after the Chandelier passed the test.
The 23-metre long state-of-the-art chandelier contains 40 lights
in four tiers and eight lights on crystal falls.
The old chandelier was also gifted by China in 1971, but it had
lost its shine over the decades due to environmental effects.
The working for the installation of the new Chandelier had begun
in 2013 when an eight-member delegation headed by Yan Jianming,
Counselor, Economic and Commercial Office of Consulate General of
China in Karachi alongside Miao Qisong, Vice General Engineer/Director, Research Department of Structure, Beijing Institute of Architectural
Design visited Mazar-e-Quaid on November 12, 2013. The Chinese side
agreed to undertake the project and prepare feasibility report.
On August 5, 2015, a six-member delegation headed by Wang Zhihua,
Counselor, Economic and Commercial Office of Consulate General of Peoples Republic of China in Karachi, having specialized engineers and
3D scanning experts visited Mazar-e-Quaid to make the complete 3D
scan of the old chandelier for collection of necessary structural date required for the replacement of old chandelier.
