IF anyone ever wonders why Pakistan seems to learn no lessons from the past, part of the answer can be found in the manner in which we treat our links with history. Even when the state’s intentions are good, poor execution means that the end result is far from desirable. Just recently, the Karachi police intercepted a truck-load of Gandhara-era artefacts. Yet the police then went on to handle it with such carelessness that a number of pieces were damaged; others were stolen from the police station premises. No better treatment is being meted out to the treasure trove of archival material collected at the National Archives of Pakistan, including irreplaceable documents such as the Quaid-i-Azam Papers that include Jinnah’s personal notebooks, Fatima Jinnah’s letters and royal orders from the Mughal emperor Akbar. But the collection is aging and decaying, partly due to insufficient temperature-control facilities and partly because of the institution’s inability to carry out restoration work.

Preserving and restoring documents is a specialised field, and it is to some extent understandable that NAP is unable to do much in this regard. However, that such historical records are allowed to be damaged by the elements — heat, humidity, etc — is unpardonable. The fault lies not so much in funding as in interest, as is evidenced by the fact that the same careless attitude is evident in institutions across the country. Paintings in Islamabad’s National Art Gallery are suffering damage because the administrators have not been able to ensure a suitable environment, for example. The situation at the permanent art gallery at the Alhamra Cultural Complex in Lahore is no different. For such cultural and historical treasures to be saved, it must become a priority. And for that to happen, Pakistan must learn to recognise the value of such material. That is a far harder task than installing air-conditioners and dehumidifiers.