September 15, 2007	Saturday	Ramazan 2, 1428

KOHAT, Sept 14: The ancestral graveyard and the palace of the Durrani princes, who ruled Kohat from the 19th to the 20th century, is among the most neglected historic sites in the country.

Prince Sultan Jan Sadozai and his father, Prince Jamhoor, the first Durrani ruler of Kohat, lie buried in Shahpur village, about 2km from the Kohat city.

Prince Sultan Jan Durrani Khawar belonged to the fifth generation of Ahmed Shah Abdali, who laid the foundation of the Durrani dynasty in Afghanistan in 1747 and ruled it until 1772. Born in Multan, Ahmed Shah Abdali is remembered as Ahmed Shah Baba.

Officials from the archaeology department have been visiting the palaces and graveyard of the Durrani princes, promising to help preserve the site. But they have largely left it to thieves, who do as they please. Most of the gravestones, tiles and doors have been stolen.

Prince Taifoor Jan, a descendant of the dynasty, told Dawn that now there was only one palace left, the remaining ones being destroyed and modern structures taking their place. In the one palace left lives the second wife of the prince.

The courtroom and lock-ups comprising five rooms are still intact but their future is uncertain because the princes want to expand their newly constructed houses.

A small mosque located close to the residence of Prince Sultan Jan is exactly of the same size built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir reportedly for writing the Holy Quran.

Persian couplets have been written on the mosque by Prince Sultan Jan because he was artist himself.

Prince Taifoor Jan said: “Recently, members of a cartel involved in smuggling of antiques came during the night from Peshawar and dug up the grave of Prince Jamhoor and Prince Sultan Jan in the hope of finding some treasure.

“When our neighbours intervened they ran away. We lodged an FIR in the police station after the incident, but so far no action has been taken at any level whatsoever.”