ISLAMABAD: The federal ministry of culture on Tuesday decided to hand over 126 archaeological sites in Sindh, except Moenjodaro, to the provincial government.

The process of transferring the sites would begin this month with the handover of Makli necropolis, one of the two oldest sites in Sindh.

With the transfer of the Makli necropolis, which is a world heritage site, it is expected that the Sindh culture department would be in good a position to address the old problems of encroachment and theft at the site.

‘The Sindh government has been requesting for administrative rights over the sites. The president of Pakistan intervened and following directives from the prime minister, the federal government transferred the sites to the province,’ said a source in the culture ministry.

Under the Antiquity Act of 1975, archaeological sites were the property of the federal government.

The official said: ‘We are just transferring administrative powers for better conservation and development of Pakistan’s treasures.’

The source said that allocation for archaeological treasures of Pakistan had come down to an embarrassing Rs6,000 per site.