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PESHAWAR, Jan 8: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani has said that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government has given special grants for the promotion of culture and archaeological sites in the province.
Speaking at a three-day conference being held to mark the centenary of the Peshawar Museum here on Monday, the chief minister said: “When the MMA came to power there was a misconception that the maulvis would ruin art and culture. There was fear that they would destroy all the statues and force women to wear burqa, but all such rumors were proven wrong by the MMA government.”
He said the archaeological sites of the Gandhara Civilisation and the culture was an asset and people should be proud of it.
He said the provincial government had set up eight museums and asked the federal government to release Rs200 million to the NWFP for the promotion of culture and archeological sites.
An archaeologist, Ihsan Ali, said that the unique pieces of Gandhara civilisation in the century-old building of the Peshawar Museum and other museums were a proof that the people of the NWFP were builders, not destroyers. “We lack projection as people with culture and heritage,” he said.
The three-day celebration will continue till Wednesday.
APP adds: Speaking at the second session of the international conference on Frontier Archaeology, federal Culture Minister Dr G.G. Jamal said that Pakistan had a multi-cultural society and the government was committed to promoting multi-culturalism.
He said the government realised that to make the country attractive for tourists, the archaeological sites representing Pakistan’s diverse cultural legacy had to be protected and promoted effectively across the globe.
He said tracing the paths of Alexander the Great and Tamer Lane and constructing monuments to remember their major expeditions were part of ongoing efforts which would highlight the European and Central Asian influences on the country’s culture.
The minister said the nation, particularly the Peshawarites needed to understand the city’s stature as one of the oldest living cities and collectively work to preserve its ancient archaeological and cultural sites. He termed Gor Gathri a magnificent site revealing 3,000 years of history and announced a grant of Rs1 million for the ongoing renovation and excavation work there.
He said the president had shown interest in the repair and renovation of Khushal Khan Khattak’s tomb and the federal government would provide the estimated cost of Rs5 million for the purpose. He pledged a grant of Rs1 million for the Ghani Dehri project in the honour of Pushto poet Ghani Khan. He said smuggled antiques caught in the United States and the United Kingdom had been returned to Pakistan.
The minister said the government would send experts to inspect Chitty Ghati to declare it a national heritage site.
