By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: Secretary and Chief Administrator Auqaf Punjab, Dr. Ehsan Bhutta, has said that the Auqaf Department remains fully committed to preserving religious heritage sites and providing improved, dignified facilities to devotees across Punjab.
He expressed these views while reviewing the progress of ongoing development schemes under the Annual Development Programme (ADP). During a visit to the Shrine of Hazrat Shah Chirag in Lahore, Dr. Bhutta reviewed conservation and restoration work being carried out under ADP 2025–26 (GS No. 3065) at an approved cost of Rs10 million. Officials informed him that the removal of old lime plaster on the exterior and intricate fresco painting on the interior were currently in progress.
Dr. Bhutta said these initiatives were being implemented in line with the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz to protect religious heritage, promote cultural values, and ensure enhanced facilities for devotees.
He also reviewed development works at Jamia Masjid Usmania, Goal Chowk, Okara, being executed under ADP 2025–26 (GS No. 3068) with an approved cost of Rs10 million. Ongoing works include electrical installations, false ceiling work, installation of a mechanical foldable tarpaulin, and preparations for shuttering of the manager’s office roof slab.
Additionally, Dr. Bhutta reviewed the construction of a Zaireen verandah and Langar Khana, along with a compound wall and renovation of toilets and ablution areas at the Shrine of Hazrat Shah Safeer in Sohawa, Jhelum. The project, being carried out under ADP 2025–26 at a cost of Rs20 million, has entered the excavation, dressing, leveling, and filling stages.
During the review, he also directed concerned officers to take immediate remedial measures for the repair and replacement of broken doors at the Langar Khana and library of the Shrine of Hazrat Baba Farid (RA) in Pakpattan to ensure safety, functionality, and convenience for devotees.
