On Wednesday, July 9, Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government approved for the restoration and conservation of historic buildings of India's legendary actors Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor. Rs 33.8 million (which is over Rs 3 crore) has been allocated for the restoration, reported PTI.
The allocation was approved in a meeting chaired by provincial Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Advisor for Tourism and Archaeology Zahid Khan Shinwari.
The meeting approved key projects for heritage preservation and tourism promotion in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province under the World Bank’s KITE programme.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Archaeology Department has planned to transform both the historical buildings into museums dedicated to the lives and careers of both the cinematic maestros.
The historic buildings of Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, which have already been declared national heritage by the Pakistan government in 2014, are in a deteriorated condition.
For the uninitiated, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had declared the ancestral houses of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor a national heritage site on July 13, 2014.
Pakistani government wants to acquire the property and aims convert it into a museum that will showcase Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor's journey from Peshawar to Mumbai, including a dedicated gallery, said Archaeology Department Director Dr Abdus Samad.
The government wants to protect the historical structures of these two Indian icons from demolition and ensure it is preserved as a cultural landmark. The upgradation of several museums and archaeological sites in the province, was also approved in the meeting.
Samad said, "This initiative will not only boost local tourism but also create new employment opportunities." Chief Minister Gandapur said, "The cultural heritage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa holds significance not only for Pakistan but for the entire world. Our government’s top priority is to preserve this heritage and ensure economic growth through tourism."
The work on these projects will start soon.
