THATTA: Archaeologists and conservationists have expressed fear that Unesco may withdraw international heritage status of Makli necropolis, particularly magnificent mausoleum of Isa Khan Turkhan-II, governor of Thatta (1627-1644), after “renovation” of historical sites by non-professionals, which have left the sites disfigured and stripped them of their antiquity.

They called upon authorities concerned to immediately stop the so-called renovation and rehabilitation work at the heritage sites being carried out by novices and non-professionals and help maintain original shape and status of the sites.

Masood Lohar, well-known archaeologist and former national coordinator of UNDP GEF SGP said: “There is no concept of renovation in archaeology. It is only conservation that is applied to keep the heritage sites in their actual shape and status so as to make history explorable by all future generations”.

He said that incompetence and corruption in the culture and archaeology department had exposed Sindh’s heritage to danger as monuments were being developed in a way that left them disfigured and stripped of their antiquity. If immediate action was not taken to stop this Sindh would lose all its gems, he warned.

He praised former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for his farsightedness and great achievement to have Moenjodaro and Makli necropolis listed on endangered sites list of Unesco. He introduced all heritage sites of Pakistan to international audience, he said.

‘Non-professionals have disfigured heritage sites, stripped them of their antiquity’

Kazi Ayaz Mahesar, former coordinator of Unesco Sindh, said that after devolution of subjects under the 18th Amendment and handing over of historical sites to provinces, Sindh government allocated Rs4 billion out of ADP and regular budget schemes as grant in aid for the conservation of heritage sites but unfortunately this huge amount was ruthlessly wasted and usurped by non-professional officers of the directorate of antiquities and archaeology in collusion with vested interests.

He said the heritage sites were a reflection of a nation’s past and any attempt to tamper with history must not go unpunished irrespective of socio-political status of those who committed this crime.

He said that it was no secret that two officers, said to be brothers and occupying key posts in the department of culture, tourism and antiquities, were now facing references of National Accountability Bureau and inquiries for their wrongdoings.

He contended that in near past a special team of structural engineers from Munich, Germany, came here to study and conduct GPR of the leaning mausoleum of Jam Nizamuddin-II and Makli necropolis but the red tape culture obstructed their efforts.

Qasim Ali Qasim, former director general of archaeology department, said that Unesco in its annual conference in Istanbul had expressed serious concern over fast-crumbling Makli necropolis, and discussed the option of putting the world’s second largest necropolis on the list of “endangered world heritage sites”.

However, it granted the government of Pakistan one year’s time to take appropriate measures to avoid such an action and later extended the time to 2018 but the department did nothing positive on the subject.

Inam Shaikh, columnist, said that it was vandalism and crime against history and heritage of Sindh and demanded stern action against those who were at the helm at culture and archaeology department.

He said that not only Makli but Moenjodaro and other sites had also been given in incompetent hands of those who were only trying to make money by destroying heritage. Sindh chief minister and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari need to immediately intervene to stop this wholesale destruction of history before it was too late, he warned.

History lovers of Thatta and Sujawal, Rehmatullah Chutto, Irfan Ali Samoon, Habibullah Chandio, Abdul Sattar Behrani and others feared further damage to the necropolis and the mausoleum and appealed to authorities concerned to stop non-professionals from tampering with historical sites and conduct an inquiry to save the heritage sites from complete destruction.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2021