![In this picture taken on April 10, 2023, architect Yasmeen Lari, the head of Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, speaks during an interview with AFP at her office in Karachi. [Photo by ASIF HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GettyImages-1256258380-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Renowned Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari has turned down this year’s Wolf Prize, which is granted by Israel-based not-for-profit Wolf Foundation, citing the war on Gaza.
In her response to the Wolf Foundation, she stated that she would not accept the award “in view of the unfortunate continuing genocide in Gaza.”
The Wolf Foundation released the recipients of its prize on 10 March. A day later, Lari thanked the jury and the foundation for the nomination but declined the award and its $100,000 prize money.
In her letter to the foundtion, Lari wrote: “While I am immensely grateful for this honour, alas, in view of the unfortunate continuing genocide in Gaza, I am not able to accept the award and the prize money even from an organisation that is independent of the government.”
“All the violence is unacceptable to me on any side of a conflict and I’ve spent much of my life helping refugees, albeit climate migrants, and Gaza is unfortunately now one of the worst situations in terms of displacement.”
READ: Pakistan welcomes Arab League’s approval of Egypt’s plan to rebuild Gaza