DADU, Nov 14: Speakers at a seminar on Monday demanded that the government should release funds for carrying out repairs of the crumbling archaeological and historical sites in the province.

Speaking at a seminar on Garhi Masjid near the tomb of Mian Naseer Mohammad Kalhoro in Khairpur Nathan Shah taluka, Prof. Dr. Ghulam Mohammad Lakho said that the tombs of Kalhora rulers who dug waterways to cultivate thousands of acres of barren land in Sindh and other historical places like the mosque of Khudabad and Garhi Masjid were in a shambles.

Archaeologist Syed Hakim Ali Shah Bukhari said that the tombs of Mirs at Drigh Bala, tombs of Kalhora rulers in Khudabad, the graveyard of Mian Naseer Mohammad in Khairpur Nathan Shah and a stupa in Faridabad were in bad need of rehabilitation.

Nafees Ahmed Nashad stressed the need for extensive research on the historical sites besides necessary steps for their repair and renovation.

Mian Naseer Mohammad Kalhoro Yadgar Committee Chairman Amir Bux Kalhoro said that he had carried out Rs800,000 repairs on Garhi Masjid and would spend as much on Badshahi Masjid of Khudabad next year.

He regretted that the federal archaeology and Sindh tourism and culture departments had not released any funds for the repair of these historical places.

Writer Azad Anwar Kandhro emphasised on conducting research on Rani Kot and complained that federal and provincial departments had completely neglected Moen Jo Daro, caves of Kai and Amri Ja Dara.

Dr Abdul Haq Abbasi, Syed Meeran Shahabuddin, Dr Shafqat Abbasi, DIG Pir Mohammad Abbasi, Namdar Bozai, Dr Liaquat Magsi, Mohammad Ibrahim Panhwar, Aslam Abbasi, Hajat Abbasi, Engineer Punhal Khoso, Mohammad Nawaz Ali Abbasi, Prof Khood Mir and Mian Mohammad Alam Abbasi also spoke at the seminar.