The Lahore Museum is all set to institute a Sikh gallery to attract Indian tourists.

"The Lahore Museum already has galleries dedicated to Hinduism, Jainism and Islam, but it had no Sikh gallery till now," said Gulzar Mashhadi, the museum's new director.

"Thousands of Sikhs visited their holy places in Pakistan every year. They will be glad to see a focus on their religion," Pakistan's Daily Times quoted Mashhadi as saying.

The gallery will be at a vacant space adjacent to the revamped Tollington Market in Lahore. Museum authorities are consulting American security experts for a "foolproof security system" for the new building, the Daily Times said.

Local architects are working on the structure of the building and the gallery will be used to display around 40,000 antiques, previously neglected because of the shortage of space, he said.

The gallery will also house an old copy of the holy book Guru Granth Sahib, as also a priceless replica of the Golden Temple.

"We will also be able to attract Sikhs living in England, the United States, Canada and Africa to visit Pakistan every year," the director said.