KARACHI: DG archaeology office shifted to Islamabad
By Bhagwandas
KARACHI, April 17: The federal government has shifted the office of the director-general of archaeology and museums from this city to the federal capital, it is reliably learnt. The order, which came into effect immediately, is being regarded as the first step towards the shifting to the capital of the entire directorate general, a move which had met strong resistance from the concerned quarters and people of Sindh and had also led to litigation a couple of years back.
Sources pointed out that the decision to move the director-general’s office had affected more than 100 employees falling in all categories — from the top most bureaucrat, the DG to the lowest grade staff like the peons and naib qasids — who have to shift also their families to Islamabad, more than a thousand kilometres from this city.
According to the sources, the Director-General, Dr Fazal Dad Kakar, his peripheral staff and essential departmental officials have already moved to the federal capital whereas the others are following suit. Strict secrecy is being maintained in the process as the authorities seemed touchy over the any information getting leaked out in this regard.
The sources also pointed out that the step had been taken in such a hasty manner that even an exclusive place had not been arranged to house the DG’s office in the capital.
The DG and other officials have been accommodated in the vicinity of a museum.
The directorate general of archaeology and museums, at present, comprises a library having a rich collection of rare books, ancient manuscripts and valuable artifacts, many of them fragile, besides the offices of various officials. It is housed in a rented building on Shaheed-i-Millat Road, near Baloch Colony.
The shifting has been ordered through an office order (547, No.2, QA/1/2005– Arch (Admn), issued by the director general.
The order says: “In compliance with direction of the secretary culture, sports and youth affairs, the office of the director general, Department of archaeology and Museums, Karachi, is being shifted from Karachi to Islamabad with immediate effect.
The Office of the director general is temporarily set up in Islamabad Museum, Islamabad, Sir Syed Memorial Building, G/5–1, Atta Turk Avenue, Islamabad, until availability of a suitable accommodation. Contact numbers are, telephone: 051–9221325, and fax: 051–2275546.”
The shifting process, according to the sources, will cost the public exchequer more than Rs5 million. Besides causing trouble to over 100 families of the affected staff, it involves risk of theft, damage, misappropriation, etc., of the rare objects.
The sources recalled that about a couple of years back, the government had decided to shift the directorate general to Islamabad.
At that time, a hue and cry was raised by the people of Sindh who had objected to the shifting of the treasure to anywhere from the province. They had also expressed their apprehension that these rare and fragile articles — books, manuscripts, artefacts, etc., could go missing, be misappropriated or stolen during the shifting process. A public interest litigation case had been resorted to against the decision. Eventually, the government had withdrawn its order.
The sources said that though the case was still pending before a court, the government had started moves towards the shifting of the directorate. However, they added, fearing that the move could trigger off a fresh wave of anger among Sindh people, it had resorted to get the job done secretly and quietly. It has ordered shifting of the DG’s office in the first phase and the rest of the directorate in the next phases, gradually and quietly, according to them.
