DADU, July 24 A committee of archaeologists formed by the government to oversee preservation and reconstruction of historical Khudabad mosque has rejected quality and pace of work being done by contractors and called for stopping it.

The committee members, officials of antiquities department have written a letter to the DCO of Dadu and the quarters concerned to stop work at the site.

Khudabad had been capital of Sindh under Kalhoras from 1701 to 1750 AD. The mosque was built by Mian Yar Mohammad Kalhoro during 1701 and 1718.

Dr Kalimullah Lashari, provincial secretary of antiquities and an archaeologist, has raised objections to the work being executed by the culture department since August 2009 without getting the committee's approval, which was mandatory before starting work on a historical site.

He said that he wrote a letter to the department and hoped that the substandard work would be stopped but a visit to the site revealed that the work continued unabated.

Syed Hakim Ali Shah Bukhari, an archaeologist and consultant for the project, expressed dissatisfaction over substandard use of material and questions the skills of the workers engaged in conservation work.

He said that contractors were working without consulting him.

Aziz Ranjhani, another archaeologist who is researching on Kalhoro monuments and Khudabad mosque, said that Khudabad mosque was one of the big monuments of Kalhoro period.

He said that labourers were skilled in preservation methods hence the reconstruction work had changed original shape of restored domes.

The site located near railway tracks and Indus Highway could have become a tourism attraction but the culture and tourism department did not pay any attention to it, he said.

The work was awarded to Al Noor Enterprises through the provincial buildings department.

Mr Imran, the contractor, told Dawn that he was using 12 mm tiles as per PC-1. Experts were called from Multan for paintings but they demanded high rates hence were rejected, he said, adding now an artist, Fatah Daudpoto, had been contacted.

He said that estimated cost of the project was Rs4.5 million but Rs1.2 million had been paid.

Naseem Jalbani, a research officer at the culture department, said that work on protection wall, wazu khana, CC road started in August 2009 at a cost of Rs10 million. It was Rs28 million three-year project and one main dome had been restored successfully that collapsed in 1994-95 rains, she said.