Press Releases
 
Pakistan should cash in on rich heritage
Daily Times, Monday, April 24, 2006

Shell gives Rs 1 million for Rohtas Fort
Daily Times, Saturday, December 2005

Rohtas Fort conservation begins with glitzy show
Daily Times, Friday, October 24, 2003

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Press Releases
Daily Times, Monday, April 24, 2006

‘Pakistan should cash in on rich heritage’
ROHTAS FORT: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, while addressing the third annual light and sound show at Rohtas Fort on Saturday, said that it was time for Pakistan to properly showcase its rich heritage and cultural history to the world to attract tourists. Aziz said the government would do all that was necessary to speed up development work on the 450-year-old fort, which is undergoing extensive restoration.

The Rohtas Fort built on the orders of Emperor Sher Shah Suri in 1541 and completed after his death has been in ruins and the surviving portions of the fort are now being restored by Shell Pakistan at a cost of Rs 27.2 million. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that after the restoration work, the 16th century fort would be an asset to the nation and an addition to its historical treasures. The prime minister also referred to the many Buddhist sites such as the captivating mountains in the Northern Areas and Moenjodharo that had the potential to attract thousands of tourists and strengthen the national economy. “Lets package, what we have, and show it to the world,” he said.

The prime minister appreciated the efforts of Shell Pakistan, Himalayan Conservation Foundation and Norwegian government in the conservation of the fort and said that such public-private partnerships could go a long way in supporting similar projects across the country. Rohtas is now a protected monument under the Antiquities Act 1975, and maintained by the Department of Archaeology.

The prime minister also inaugurated the Sher Shah Museum, which contains an extensive display of swords, books, household pottery and utensils dating back to the Mughal era. Dr Anisur Rehman, head of the Himalayan Conservation Foundation said the conservation project included improving facilities for the visitors and creating awareness among the locals. He briefed the prime minister on the project, which included providing facilities such as information centre, restaurants and toilets for visitors to Rohtas Fort.

Farooq Rahmatullah, the chairman of Shell companies in Pakistan, said the project was aimed at preserving national heritage to attract more tourists to the country. He said that as part of its social development projects, Shell had signed a partnership with UN’s Development Programme worth $600,000 to prevent deforestation in Galliyat, by providing alternative Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG). He said Shell Pakistan was also working on conserving historical monuments of the country including the Mohatta Palace and the Bibi Jawandi Tomb in Uch. He called for a collective effort from society as well as the government, NGOs and media to make a conscious contribution towards the restoration process. “We believe that the legacies of the past not only inspire us but that their preservation is a responsibility we owe to our future generations.” The highlight of the event was a musical extravaganza titled ‘The voice of Rohtas Fort’, which was directed by Dr Uxi Mufti. The show was a recount of how the massive sand stone structure was built amidst palatial intrigues, wars and romance. APP

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Press Releases
Daily Times, Saturday, December 24, 2005

Shell gives Rs 1 million for Rohtas Fort
 

ISLAMABAD: Shell Pakistan donated Rs 1 million on Friday to the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation (HWF) for the conservation of Rohtas Fort.

According to a press statement, Farooq Rahmatullah, Shell Pakistan chairman, presented the cheque for the project. Shell Pakistan, the Culture Ministry, and the National Fund are supporting the project for Cultural Heritage. Farooq said Shell was committed to supporting projects on cultural heritage and conservation, including Rohtas Fort and Mohattas Palace.

He said it was also supporting environment projects such as mangroves’ conservation. staff report

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Press Releases
Daily Times, Friday, October 24, 2003

Rohtas Fort conservation begins with glitzy show
By Shahzad Raza

ISLAMABAD: The labourers building Rohtas Fort for Ustad-e-Badshahaan, Sher Shah Suri, back in 1541could not have imagined how a project to restore their work to its original lustre would be kicked off.

The Wednesday-evening extravaganza at the fort that opened the conservation project attracted some high profile personalities, including General Pervez Musharraf and his wife Sehba. They were treated to a sound and light show sketching the rise and fall of the great ruler of Hindustan and exquisite fireworks to formally inaugurate the project.

The sound and light show portraying the life of Sher Shah Suri was presented by Serendip Productions. “It was a memorable experience,” chief guest Gen Musharraf said. “There is an abundance of talent in Pakistan that can put on such shows.” He told the audience he had seen sound and light shows at the pyramids, “but this was something unique”.

Gen Musharraf said a nation’s cultural heritage was a source of pride, besides and attraction to foreign and local tourists. He regretted that the conservation of cultural heritage had never been on a Pakistani government’s agenda. “We are performing poorly in this respect.” He said public-private partnerships were a good way to conserve heritage sites.

He said a restored Rohtas Fort would make foreign dignitaries’ visits to Islamabad more interesting. “Whenever a high profile foreign official visits Islamabad, we have little option but to take them to the Faisal Mosque,” he said.

A number of dignitaries, diplomats, high-ranking government officials and corporate heads attended the event, which was sponsored by Shell Pakistan.

The outstanding drama on Sher Shah Suri’s life showed the young Fareed Khan (Sher Shah’s real name) as an amiable, personable and highly ambitious son of Mian Hassan, a soldier and a landlord. Young Fareed’s energies are poured into administration and military tactics, but he finds time to fall in love with Rajput princess Chandravati.

After achieving some token victories, the ambitious Fareed turns his cavalry to his arch-enemy, Mughal Emperor Humayun. The young general’s innovative use of strategy to exploit his enemy’s weaknesses put Humayun on the run. After dethroning the Mughal emperor, he adopts the title of Sher Shah Suri.

During his five-year rule, Sher Shah Suri reveals his excellent administrative skills to build several forts and the Grand Trunk Road, which became the most important commercial track in India. He also introduced a government that believes in social justice. The manner of his death is still disputed among historians.

Sher Shah Suri built the strong fortified complex at Rohtas after defeating Humayun. The main fortifications consist of large walls more than 4 kilometres long; they are lined with bastions and pierced by monumental gateways. The fort is an exceptional example of Muslim military architecture in South Asia.

In his speech, Shell Pakistan President Farooq Rahmatullah said his company was committed to the conservation of Rohtas Fort as part of its social responsibility programme.

Culture Minister Rais Munir Ahmad said that the restoration of Rohtas was an immense undertaking which would require many years of support from all sectors of society.

However, not everyone was full of praise at the event. Some guests criticized the conservation work on one of the fort’s gates, the Chand Wali Gate, saying it looked unprofessional.

According to others, the lavishly organized function must have cost the organizers nearly Rs 3 million, money that might have been better spent on conservation rather than in giving Pakistan’s business elite a few hours of entertainment.

As the president and other high profile guests visited the fort, hundreds of commandos and policemen roamed around inside and outside the fort for security.

The conservation of Rohtas Fort is being carried out by the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation, Ministry of Culture, Shell Pakistan and National Fund for Cultural Heritage.