KARACHI, Sept 19: The speakers at a consultative workshop on “status paper on cultural heritage of Sindh”, expressing concern over the decay of cultural and archaeological sites due to indifferent attitude of concerned federal department, suggested devising a heritage management plan and devolution of archaeology department to the provinces.

The workshop was organized by IUCN Pakistan—Sindh Programme here at its office on Thursday. The IUCN has commissioned a number of status papers addressing selected topics concerning the environmental and sustainable development issues of the province. The status paper on cultural heritage of Sindh, presented in the workshop, has been authored by noted writer Anwar Pirzado.

The author, while presenting his paper, highlighted the current issues confronting the cultural and archaeological sites of the province that include environmental degradation, water-logging and salinity, neglect by the authority, lack of implementation over antiquity laws etc.

Citing example of indifferent attitude of the governments and other concerned authorities, he said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif disbanded the Authority for Preservation of Moenjodaro which was set up by the government in the 70s. The present government of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf created a National Fund for Moenjodaro in 2000, but no funds have, so far, been released to the Sindh government, and no meeting of the Board has been held since then, he added.

Pirzada also called for creating a public awareness for saving wetlands, forests, mangroves, deserts, mountains and crafts of the province.

The director-general, archaeology, Khurshed Hassan, was of the view that it was not possible for his department to deal with such a big work single-handedly and suggested the setting up of a site museum, as according to him, currently all the antiquities found from the sites are dumped in Karachi.

He said the tourism in Sindh could not develop as there are no approach roads and other basic facilities, including drinking water at the sites.

Gul Mohammad Umrani, Director-General, provincial department of culture and tourism, was of the view that since devolution process is under way, the federal archaeology department should also be devolved to the provinces.

Referring to lack of implementation of antiquity laws, he deplored that people in Pakistan have no habit of observing laws, which is the biggest dilemma.

Ms. Anita of a non-governmental organization stressed that historical cities and towns of the province should also be saved from the decay and opined that authorities concerned have just a cosmetic approach towards these issues.

Noted scholar M. H. Panhwar, Dr. Suleman Shaikh from SZABIST, Ahmaduddin Hanjrah, Director Archives, Sindh, Ali Raza Rizvi and others also spoke.—PPI