BAHAWALPUR: Bahawalpur Commissioner Dr Ehtasham Anwar says the ancient artefacts discovered from Ganweriwala during the ongoing excavation have been placed at the Harappa Museum for the time being as the Bahawalpur Museum does not have a chemical laboratory.

He said the artefacts and antiques would be displayed at the Bahawalpur Museum later on.

Mr Anwar gave this assurance to the local circles of scholars who demanded the return of the Ganweriwala artefacts from the Harappa Museum. The scholars expressed fear that in the future too, when more antiques would be discovered from the ancient site situated about 70km from Bahawalpur, they would also be carried away to the Harappa Museum and Bahawalpur would be deprived of them.

Talking to Dawn, the commissioner said the Bahawalpur Museum lacked the required facility to keep the artefacts and that they had been sent to Harappa for chemical examination. He observed that before the display of antiques of Ganweriwala, their analysis was a must and after completion of their chemical analysis and ascertaining of their originality, they would be brought back to Bahawalpur.

Meanwhile, according to an official handout, the commissioner visited the Bahawalpur Museum and inspected its various galleries with a view to possible display of the Ganweriwala artefacts.

He discussed the matter with the museum director, Muhammad Zubair Rabbani, who informed him that the Ganweriwala’s antiques could be easily displayed at the museum as there was ample space and one of the galleries could be exclusively spared for Ganweriwala.

SUGAR HOARDING: Ahmedpur East Assistant Commissioner Faisal Ahmed Maitla, in a raid on a private warehouse, seized 476 bags of sugar and arrested its owner.

According to details, on a tip-off that warehouse owner Muhammad Nazim had hoarded a huge stock of sugar for profiteering. The AC along with police and tehsildar Malik Hazoor Bakhsh carried out a raid and arrested Nazim.

Meanwhile, Bahawalpur Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa while chairing a meeting of price magistrates said that during the previous 12 days, 86 profiteers were arrested, six shopkeepers were booked and four shops were sealed while a fine of about Rs1m was recovered from the profiteers.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2024