ABBOTTABAD: The provincial director of archaeology and museums, Abdus Samad, has urged the district police officer, Abbottabad, to file an FIR against the cantonment’s executive officer for demolishing the British-era historical buildings in the cantonment limits.

The directorate of archaeology and museums in a letter dated June 25 and addressed to the DPO has demanded filing of an FIR against the Abbottabad cantonment’s executive officer under section 44 and 56 of the Antiquities Act 2016 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It said that it had been noticed that the Abbottabad cantonment board was gradually demolishing the colonial period/British era monuments located in the cantonment board area.

The letter stated that the directorate had approached so many times the Hazara commissioner and the deputy commissioner, DPO office and executive officer of the cantonment board, Abbottabad, to stop demolishing the British era buildings.

It was stated that the directorate of archaeology had documented/registered all the historical and archaeological buildings located in Abbottabad district in 2008-09.

The letter added that the executive office of the cantonment board had recently demolished a British period building generally known as “Major Abbott Office”, which was an old cantonment office, without consultation, NOC or prior permission from the directorate in clear violation of the section 44 and 56 of the Antiquities Act of KP.

The directorate requested the DPO to direct the concerned police station to take immediate action and lodge/register an FIR against the executive officer, cantonment board, Abbottabad.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2021