Decision 42 COM 7B.14

Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (Pakistan) (C 171)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B.Add.2,
2. Recalling Decisions 40 COM 7B. 43 and 41 COM 7B.96, adopted at its 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016) and 41st (Krakow, 2017) sessions respectively,
3. Acknowledges the efforts made by the State Party to address the Committee’s recommendations with regard to the conservation of the property;
4. Takes further note of the decision of the Honourable Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that has given 31 directions with regard to protection, preservation and conservation of the property;
5. Expresses concern that the State Party did not inform the World Heritage Committee of the Orange Line Metro project before any irreversible decision was taken, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, especially in view of the impacts of the metro line, and notably its route and construction process, on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property;
6. Also expresses concern that, despite the Committee’s previous decisions, the Orange Line Metro in Lahore has been almost completed without a satisfactory, comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the project;
7. Notes the efforts of the State Party in implementing all mitigation measures during the construction phase of Orange Line Metro Train Project (OLMTP) and requests that close monitoring and implementation of vibration control, noise, air pollution and visual mitigation measures directed in the order of the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan and suggested in various studies will be ensured during the operation phase of Orange Line;
8. Notes the impact on integrity and authenticity of the property;
9. Takes note of the outcomes of the April 2018 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, including the evaluation of the current condition of the property, and also requests the State Party to implement the mission’s recommendations;
10. Further requests the State Party, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to submit, in relation to future projects, detailed project studies to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies and to ensure that implementation only start after positive feedback has been received from the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies;
11. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2019, a report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 43rd session in 2019.