September 4, 2005	Sunday	Rajab 29, 1426

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LAHORE, Sept 3: Former city district nazim Mian Amer Mahmood, PML-N’s Tehmina Daultana, PPP’s Jehangir Badr, MMA’s Amirul Azeem and Dr Shahid Masood of a private TV channel are likely to be booked on the charges of violating the Antiquity Act of 1979.

The private TV channel had telecast a programme live from the Hazuri Bagh on the local election day on Aug 25 without taking permission from the Federal Archaeology Department, which has the administrative control of the monument.

Department director Saleemul Haq has filed an application against the politicians and the programme host with the Tibbi police station.

The department has already served a legal notice on the local head of the private TV channel for holding the programme without its permission.

Under the Antiquity Act of 1979 and the Unesco charter, no private or public event can be organized at the monuments in view of threat to their conservation.

SP (city) Dr Usman Anwer told Dawn on Saturday that the application had been received and any action against the people in question would be taken after taking legal opinion and investigation.

According to the officials, the TV channel had requested Punjab Archaeology Department curator Afzal Khan that it wanted to interview Mian Amer at the Hazuri Bagh for 10 minutes. However, the programme that also featured the opposition leaders lasted for hours.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab government has nothing to do with the Hazuri Bagh.

Following the incident, the authorities suspended the curator from service. However, he was later reinstated as nothing was established against him.

Ironically, the provincial government has yet to initiate any action against one of its senior officers for damaging the floor of the historical Badshahi Mosque by making holes for illumination at the nikah ceremony of his daughter.

Officials claimed that they had taken the extreme step, as they wanted to protect the monuments. They said the people in question should be booked for violation, as it would help save the monuments from vandalism in future. They denied that the move was politically motivated. The three opposition leaders had strongly criticized the government policies in the programme.

Sources said Mian Amer had helped the TV channel in arranging the programme. They said the participants were guilty of trespassing on the Hazuri Bagh because they reached its roof for the programme, which has been closed for the general public for long. “The roof is in a shabby condition and can collapse any time,” they added.

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