Devolution has been a bitter-sweet pill for the development of culture and heritage in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP). On one hand, the provincial government has adopted a pro-active attitude and established museums throughout the province, and on the other, KP remains devoid of any art gallery.

One such initiative, that has seen neglect for many years is the Rs23 million Pakhtun Cultural Museum that was launched and funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and was completed many months ago at University of Peshawar adjacent to Pashto Academy.

But the museum remains mostly devoid of artifacts and has on display empty cabinets, shelves and galleries. And now the project director, Prof. Dr. Salma Shaheen has launched on a personal campaign to fill the museum with the objects of the Pashtun culture so it can be preserved with the care it deserves.

“I have donated utensils, old ornaments and dresses while some of my close friends have donated other things to the museum. I appeal to the tribal people, especially women, to donate the treasures they own, including old artifacts, manuscripts, utensils, foot-wares,  dresses and jewellery to the museum so that it could be a complete kaleidoscope of the Pashtun nation,” said Prof. Shaheen.

She is also on the hunt for works of photography of scholars, intellectuals and reformers that stand prominently in the Pashto history.

“I have seen young students take keen interest in learning about their past traditions and it would be of value to them to display old items that have slowly disappeared from our lives,” she added.

Part of the reason is that the project has struggled with financial difficulties since its launch in 2006. Work on its construction stopped mid-way due to a row between the former vice chancellor, University of Peshawar and director of Pashto Academy over the latter’s merger with the Department of Pashto.

Prof. Dr. Rajwali Shah Khattak, the former director of Pashto Academy explained that originally Pashtun Cultural Museum was planned to be a place where tangible and intangible cultural heritage could be collected but unfortunately that was not done.

He added that the original vision was that the structure should contain within it all aspects of Pashtun culture. “Pashtun population in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa can be divided into different cultural zones with distinctive features of North and South.  The models of Hujra, turban, women dresses and foot-wares should all find a place in the museum,” he stressed.

But no funds are available to keep the project going and it seems to have come to a halt.

“I have spent even Pashto Academy’s contingency funds in order to let the project continue. I have made many requests to the authorities concerned for fulfilling the remaining urgent requirements of the museum but the response is lukewarm.

But what must be noted is that even though a formal inauguration has not been arranged for the project, we receive more than 200 visitors including foreigners everyday,” maintained  Dr. Salma.

However, much needs to be done in terms of getting the museum fully functional. Permanent security guards need to be hired to protect old jewellery and other valuable items worth millions of rupees. Presently only replicas have been put on display for public view.

“The museum needs a curator, a conservator and a proper security arrangement since it is going to house valuable items,” informed Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nasim Khan, Director, Department of Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Peshawar. He has been assisting the project for quite sometime.

He also explained: “The museum is being arranged along modern scientific lines,” and that this will be the second museum on the Peshawar University campus after the Archeology Museum where students are already carrying out research on various aspects of the old culture of the Pashtuns.

Prof. Abaseen Yousafzai, noted poet and chairman Pashto Department, Islamia College University, believes that it is a matter of ‘now or never’ if a campaign is to be launched to collect a valuable and diverse range of items from remote towns and villages in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“Soon it would be very difficult for Pakhtun Cultural Museum to acquire such items since many antiques, old utensils, ornaments made of gold and silver, wooden things, agricultural tools, musical instruments and handicrafts are being smuggled to foreign countries. People sell them for pennies because they do not realise their significance,” he said.

If such a trend has to be reversed, added Mr. Abaseen, then “there should be a rigorous public campaign in the areas that are home to some of the most precious heritage and cultural sites of the province to collect such valuable items.”

There is much in the pipeline for this museum to become a reserve of Pakhtun culture as well as a much-needed resource.

But Prof. Khattak highlighted the age-old conundrum – governments spend millions of rupees on setting up institutions for various purposes but are unable to sustain them so they lose their utility and purpose and become failed projects.

“This beautiful structure too will go rustic if not taken care of well in time,” Dr. Wali warned.