Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) Director chosen as Najm us Saqib Sheikh
Punjab's government has formally appointed Najm us Saqib Sheikh to head the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA). Sheikh offers a vision-driven and internationally informed approaches to preserving Lahore's cultural legacy with three decades' experience in heritage preservation, architecture, and landscape design.
Having received a certificate in historic preservation, British-Pakistani expert Sheikh obtained a Master's in Landscape Architecture (Ecological Planning) from the University of Pennsylvania, USA. At ICCROM, Rome, he also had intensive training in the scientific restoration of inherited materials and architectural aspects.
Sheikh's professional past is an absolutely unusual combination of on-ground ability and intellectual achievements. Beginning with trail-breaking restoration efforts like the Lahore Fort Master Conservation Plan, Wazir Khan was WCLA Director of Conservation and Planning for 2015–2025. Under UNESCO World Heritage requirements, Shalimar Gardens, Shahdara Complex, and all undertaken mosque. By promoting tourism and community involvement, these works not only fixed architectural wonders but also offered economic and social benefits hence supporting sustainable cultural and economic value for the neighborhood as well.
Among his project portfolio including Qila Kohna and Lahore Heritage Area Restoration are major urban rejuvenation and tourism projects totaling over Rs. 28 billion. Multan's Uch Sharif Pilgrim Trail and Qasim Bagh. Every project blended creativity with conservation, therefore drawing attention to adaptive reuse of ancient buildings, environmental balance, and traditional repair.
Sheikh was the Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's Parklands Strategy Manager in the United Kingdom, overseeing multimillion-pound park upgrades supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. His worldwide visibility has let him use great methods for heritage management in Pakistan.
Hoping to strengthen Lahore's position as a global heritage site, Najm us Saqib Sheikh, the newly appointed WCLA Director, His aim is the expansion of heritage-based travel, which would include community participation and the development of a long-term strategy for the preservation of cities spanning Lahore's past and future.
Under his direction, the Walled City of Lahore Authority would be able to develop into a cultural hub of excellence integrating history, architecture, and public Life comes to honor Lahore's always present essence.