ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Heritage and Culture has refused permission to the developers of a housing society to relocate a British World War I memorial for constructing a commercial area.

“The monument cannot be shifted without first being protected under the law. For that, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has to provide revenue record, which it has not done despite several reminders,” an official of the ministry told Dawn.

The monument was erected by the British Empire after 1914 to honour local soldiers who fought in the Great War. It stands as a symbol of recognition on Kuri Road near Rehara village, but is now in danger of being knocked down due to development plans by CDA and a housing society.

The ground around the memorial has been cut and leveled by excavators and bulldozers of the developers. The memorial is left standing on a 35 to 40 feet high mound, inaccessible from all sides. The landmark has tilted and risks collapsing.

Monument cannot be shifted without first being protected under law for which CDA has to provide revenue record which it has failed, says official

Officials in the Department of Archaeology and Museums (DOAM) were shocked when shown a picture of the monument perched on a thin column of earth.

DOAM, which is responsible to survey, document and protect historical treasures dotting the federal capital, also seemed to have abandoned the memorial. The last time it wrote to the CDA chairman, urging the civic body to provide it with revenue record so that it could be protected was in May last year.

“We have been writing to CDA’s revenue department since 2020 to provide record of the war memorial and few other historical sites, including the Mughal era Rehara mosque 200 metres from the memorial so that it could be protected. CDA has not once responded to the letters DOAM has written in the last six years,” said the official from the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture.

When contacted, CDA spokesman Shahid Kiyani told Dawn that the developers had a plan to better conserve it.

The CDA and the housing society approached DOAM six months ago, and requested for a no-objection certificate (NOC) to relocate the memorial to a roundabout (to be built roughly 100 metres from its original spot) ensuring visibility and accessibility.

“The roundabout may be named after the World War I memorial, thereby perpetuating its legacy and significance,” the CDA said in a letter to DOAM.

DOAM, however, rejected the proposal, maintaining that the memorial was built in memory of the men from the villages, including Rehara, who sacrificed their lives. Shifting it would defeat the purpose.

“Even if DOAM does allow the developers to shift it, the memorial needs to be protected first and added to Islamabad’s list of historical monuments, for which the archaeology department needs the required documents from CDA,” the official in the ministry added.

Islamabad’s list of heritage has gotten richer after seven more archaeological sites/monuments were added to it, including Rawat Fort, Mai Qamro’s Mosque, Muqarab Khan Tomb, Ban Faqiran stuppa and Shah Allahditta cave where only recently more historical discovery has been made. The Ministry of Heritage has been urging CDA for records to include the Hindu temple at Rawal Lake, Kuri Baradari and the British War Memorial to the list.

The heritage ministry acknowledged the crisis and feared losing the significant landmark that bears visible scars of years of neglect and exposure, if not protected.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2026