11 November 2004	Thursday	27 Ramazan 1425

PESHAWAR, Nov 10: A project undertaken inside the historic Bala Hisar Fort in Peshawar has drawn a sharp reaction from conservationists who want the federal government to abandon the project and protect the Mughal-era monument from losing its original shape and character.

In a press release issued here on Wednesday, the Sarhad Conservation Network, an organization established by professionals and academicians on voluntary basis, has asked the authorities concerned to immediately stop construction of a structure inside the historic fort as it would undermine the beauty of the archaeological site.

Expressing concern over the unauthorized construction being carried out by the Frontier Corps (FC), the SCN observed that the process would affect the aesthetics and alter the original design conceived by the architects of the Mughal period.

The SCN pointed out that the Frontier Corps had not taken permission from the authorities concerned before launching the project which was against the law and should be looked into by their high-ups.

The network called upon archaeologists, Unesco, the Culture and Tourism department and other authorities to take notice of the violation. Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah and Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani should intervene to prevent this disaster from happening, it added.

The SCN observed that Bala Hisar was one of the most prominent historic places of Peshawar being 2,000-2,500 years old.

The fort remained under the control of Mughals, Afghans, Sikhs and British during their rules. It became the headquarters of the North-West Frontier Corps in 1948 and continued to be its command centre till now, the SCN stated.

Under a presidential order in 2001 and under an agreement reached between the FC and the provincial government earlier this year, the headquarters was to be shifted to its new premises in Hayatabad.

However, the FC authorities seemed uninterested in shifting to Hayatabad, which was a negation of the agreement, while the ongoing disfiguring of the historical landmark smacks of double standards and unprofessional conduct, the SCN observed.

The fort is a beautiful monument of the Frontier province and any construction that mars the view of parapets and its massive sloping walls would be a tragedy, the SCN stated.