 At Shell Pakistan, heritage is an important area of focus within its social investment programme. For this very reason, the company has undertaken major responsibilities to conserve and reinstate many historical monuments of Pakistan. Among these projects are the Mohatta palace, the Rohtas Fort and most recently the Bibi Jawandi tomb in Uch.The conservation of Rohtas Fort is being carried out by the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation, the Ministry of Culture, Shell Pakistan and National Fund for Cultural Heritage. The company has donated generously to the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation for the restoration of the Fort since 2001.The Rohtas Fort is now a protected monument under the Antiquities Act 1975, and maintained by the Department of Archaeology, Government of Pakistan.Owing to its marvelous qualities of strength and solidity, and being the finest specimen of medieval military architecture in Pakistan, the Fort was inscribed in the World Heritage List by UNESCO, in 1997. It is hoped that the restoration and conservation process will eventually attract a greater number of tourists, first from Pakistan and in time from around the world. The heightening of environmental consciousness and preservation of these cultural heritages is critical, particularly among school children. Many student groups visiting the site deface the walls of the Fort with ugly graffiti. The visiting school and college tours have to be educated and informed about the importance of these sites. This can be easily implemented by an active participation from the local educational institutions- even if they do something as small as taking part in tree planting campaigns or washing off the unpleasant defacements from the walls. Moreover, by restoring the Fort, Shell Pakistan is also ensuring that the communities living in and around the Fort are looked after suitably. In fact, the villagers are already seeing benefits from the attention the Fort is attracting. The process of restoration and conservation is helping in providing employment and training to the local artisans. The same community is being encouraged to initiate small business for the increasing number of visiting tourists, which helps generate employment. We at Shell, realize that the restoration of the Rohtas Fort is a project of great magnitude and requires a collective effort from all sectors of society. The government ministries, NGO’s, media and concerned citizens all have to make a conscious contribution towards this restoration process. Chairman of Shell Companies in Pakistan, Farooq Rahmatullah in his speech at the event said that the legacies of the past, in historical sites such as Rohtas, not only inspire us but their preservation is the responsibility we owe to the future generations in leaving them something to cherish and be proud of. He said the restoration of the Rohtas Fort is a project of great magnitude and requires a collective effort from all sectors of society.
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