HYDERABAD: Complaining that the federal government has completely overlooked Sindh for conservation of around 3,200 heritage sites, Provincial Minister for Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Syed Sardar Ali Shah has said that he would not “beg for alms” from the federal heritage ministry for this purpose.

He was speaking to reporters after inaugurating the Mukhi House Museum after its renovation in the city on Tuesday. “I will not beg for alms from the federal heritage ministry. It has just ignored Sindh in conservation of heritage,” he remarked while answering a question.

He said heritage conservation needed huge resources and the federal heritage ministry should release funds for their preservation in Sindh. He also said that those funds were not given to Sindh for a long time.

The minister maintained that the federal government had not given due share of Sindh in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. He said that despite receiving inadequate funds, the Sindh government had tried to take care of heritage properties.

Answering another question, he said it was the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that had always got local bodies elections held. He said the work was under way for the next local bodies elections because the PPP believed in transfer of power at the grass-root level. He denied having knowledge of proposals for creation of new districts in Sindh.

Regarding settlement of population in historic Pucca Qila, he said it was a heritage of Sindh and added that he would not make any false claim of getting the fort vacated from residents.

The minister said it was not an easy task to get the fort vacated. He added that around 80,000 to 100,000 people were settled inside Pucca Qila. He said that for the settlement of such a big population, land was required and availability of such land was again a question.

He said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) was also a big political obstruction in that process as well. He said he had spoken to the MQM-P in that regard for taking collective efforts to get the fort vacated, but no progress had been made so far. He said markets had been established around Pucca Qila.

He, however, said for the fort’s conservation, the department had done some work on the fortification of its wall to save it to some extent. He said the conservation work inside the fort was also under way to preserve the houses of former Talpur rulers of Sindh.

Earlier, speaking at the inaugural ceremony, he announced opening of Mukhi House as museum for the people. Describing the building as a jewel of the subcontinent, he said it was built by Mukhi Jethanand Gobind Ram in 1920.

He said Jawaharlal Nehru and other personalities of the subcontinent had stayed as guests there. After partition, the Mukhi family had left for India and they were currently settled in America, he added.

He said the family had handed it over to Sindh government for conservation and the government had decided to open it as museum today for people.

He said the pictures of Hyderabad’s historical journey were displayed and added that some antiquities were also kept there. He said the Sindh government would keep more antiquities so that visitors could be educated about their history.

Director general of the culture, tourism and antiquities department, Manzoor Kanasro, and other officials were present.

Noted author Jami Chandio, Shoukat Hussain Shoro, Madad Ali Sindhi and others also witnessed the event.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2021