MUCH is made by people in high office about the country’s rich cultural and historical heritage. Pakistan has on paper legislation that should work to protect and preserve its legacies.

On the ground, though, the situation at most sites of historical importance is one of abject neglect. Consider, for example, the case of Taxila, which boasts the remains of several important Buddhist monasteries dating back to ancient times.

The Mohra Moradu stupa and monastery among them is of such significance that it was included in Unesco’s list of world heritage sites in 1980, and years ago, sheds were erected to protect the scores of stucco structures there from climate-related deterioration.

Also read: Ancient sculptures crumbling due to lack of attention

Today, however, these are in a sorry state. The sheds over the stupa and the cells housing the sculptures are damaged, and rainwater as well as seepage have damaged most of the contents that date back to the 4th and 5th centuries A.D.

What the passage of hundreds of years could not do, official neglect is achieving instead: when contacted, the deputy director of the archaeology department said that a preservation project could not be initiated as a result of lack of funds, and that in any case the site had been handed over to the provincial government in the wake of the passage of the 18th Amendment.

This is not the first time the site has been in the news because of the damage it is suffering.

Most recently, late last month, allegations were made by sources in the archaeology department that Buddha statues at the Jualian stupa were being worked upon by non-specialised masons who were making new heads for statues where stucco was originally used, in effect damaging them through robbing them of their authenticity.

That needs to be verified and halted immediately, if true. And those who work with the federal as well as provincial archaeology departments need reminding that while funds may be tight, preserving heritage starts with finding the will to accomplish the task.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2014