LAHORE: Government College Township organised a workshop to commemorate the World Heritage Day that is celebrated each year on April 18 under the banner of UNESCO.

The ceremony was presided over by college principal Dr Ijaz Butt, while the speakers included Punjab University (PU) Music Department head Badrul Zaman, PU Institute of Communication Studies Director Dr Ahsan Akhtar Naz, Farah Khalid, a prominent poetess and Dr Shabiul Hassan, a well-known intellectual. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ijaz Butt said Pakistan had rich culture, heritage and the Indus Valley Civilisation, Ghandhara Civilisation, Persian Civilisation and many others. The country is also home to ancient sites like Mohenjodaro and Malki Graveyard, he added.

Bhambore ruins

Dawn; March 14 2012

KUDOS to Sindh’s culture department for holding a series of moots at heritage sites to highlight the latter’s significance.

The latest conference held last week at Bhambore with participation from national and international scholars and local citizens was part of the effort to draw public attention to the province’s rich heritage. The ruins at Bhambore date back, arguably, to at least the early eighth century CE when the young Arab general Mohammad Bin Qasim conquered the port city of Deebal after a battle with a local raja. Excavated pottery and building structures at the site reveal that it was indeed a thriving city located at a crossroads of the trade route that connected this part of the world with China in the northeast and the Middle East to the west. Much of the ruins at Bhambore still lie buried under the rubble of time, and only further excavations will reveal the true significance of this ancient site, which is waiting to be placed on Unesco’s List of World Heritage Sites.

Sindh is home to some of the world’s most spectacular historical sites, with prehistoric Moenjodaro being the envy of archaeologists anywhere. Together with Moenjodaro, the medieval-time Makli necropolis near Thatta, with its largely intact carved stone mausoleums, is already on Unesco’s list. It is indeed sad that a chronic paucity of funds and the government’s lack of interest in the past have not been able to solicit the international attention that these and other heritage sites in Sindh deserve.

Now with the culture department playing a more proactive role to streamline the importance of owning our heritage, it is hoped that conservation work will start at those sites in most need of it. The effort needs to be focused, sustained and carried out under the supervision of qualified conservation experts.

Efforts To Bring Archaelogical Sites On Unesco List

Pakistan Observer; march 7 2012

Hyderabad—Sindh Secretary for Culture Abdul Aziz Uqaili has said that the present government is making all out efforts to incorporate the historical sites of the province into the World Heritage List of UNESCO and the Bhanbhor International Conference, scheduled for March 10, 2012 at Bhanbhor will be helpful for the cause.

Talking to newsmen during his visit to Dhabeji and Makli of district Thatta on Tuesday, Counsel Generals of different countries of the world including France, Germany, Italy and Indonesia have confirmed their participation in the conference while Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah will attend the conference as chief guest.

He said that district Thatta possessed rich cultural heritage and archeological sites and the government is making all possible efforts to preserve these sites and make these treasures attractive for international tourists. The Secretary Culture informed that after passage of 18th Amendment of the Constitution, these historical sites have been handed over to the provinces earlier, the same were being maintained by the federal government.

Preservation Of Heritage Top Priority, Says Minister

The News; February 27 2012

KARACHI: The Culture Department, Government of Sindh, organised the First National Conference on Chaukundi Tombs / Monuments on Saturday evening at the Chaukundi Graveyard, located on the main National Highway, 29 kms from Karachi downtown. A national level dialogue on one of the most beautiful heritage sites of Sindh in Karachi, having great architectural and archaeological significance, raises a hope for its protection and preservation by public authorities, particularly the Culture department and civil administration of Karachi.

Sindh Minister of Culture Ms. Sassui Palijo and Secretary Culture Sindh, Abdul Aziz Uqaili were joined by leading archaeologists, historians and local communities at the site, which was aesthetically decorated. The conference venue was elegant and the monuments were lit with lights to present a fascinating and enthralling view, in the backdrop.

Local MPA and Minister of Zakat and Ushr, Sajid Jokhio and Minister Auqaf Banbhan, were the chief guests, while minister of culture presided over the symposium. Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Sassui Palijo, stated that the culture department is cognizant of its responsibilities and has accorded the highest priority to the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage and archaeological sites of Sindh, which had been devolved to them only a few months ago, after passage of Constitution 18th Amendment and abolition of the Concurrent List there-from.

All Is Not Lost For The Historic Tombs Of Chawkandi

Pakistan Today; February 24 2012

KARACHI - The first national conference on Chawkandi tombs was held on Saturday by the Sindh Culture Department at the Chawkandi graveyard located 29 kilometres east of Karachi on the National Highway 5.

A national level dialogue on one of Sindh’s most beautiful heritage sites in the metropolitan that has great architectural and archaeological significance raises hope for its protection and preservation by public authorities, particularly the provincial culture department and the city’s civil administration.

Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo and Sindh Culture Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili were joined by leading archaeologists, historians and local communities at the site, which was aesthetically decorated.

Makli Necropolis Report Clarified

The News; February 18 2012

The Sindh culture department has strongly refuted the allegations levelled in the news item ‘Largest Muslim necropolis continues to shrink’ (published in The News on February 15, 2012).

In a statement released on Friday, Culture Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili said that in last few months, the culture department had taken over the administrative control of all historical sites, including the Makli necropolis. The department has started a survey and demarcation of all these sites and also prepared a development scheme for the erection of a boundary around necropolis and other important sites.

The statement further said that as far as “the allegation of encroachment of land by Ex-MPA Mr. Qadir Bukhsh Palijo is concerned, the department has already declared it ‘baseless and without any substance or evidence’.”

Largest Muslim Necropolis Continues To Shrink

By Shahid Husain; the News; February 15 2012

The largest Muslim necropolis in the world, which has more than half a million tombs and the graves of a number of saints, heroes and intellectuals of Sindh, is in horrible condition due to encroachments made by certain influential people.

Makli is considered a world heritage site by Unesco, but due to its degradation and apathy from the government, the UN body is reportedly considering downgrading the status of the necropolis.

A reliable source told The News on condition of anonymity that a considerable portion of the necropolis had been occupied by the father of Sindh Minister of Culture Sassui Palijo. However, Sindh’s Secretary Culture Abdul Aziz Uquaili, in response to queries sent by The News, rejected these allegations. “This is factually incorrect. It is a baseless allegation without any evidence or substance,” he said.

Culture Department, Heritage Foundation Ink MoU

Business Recorder; February 12 2012

The Culture Department, Government of Sindh and Heritage Foundation inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for preservation and documentation of Samaa Period Cluster of monuments at Makli Hill Necropolis, which is one of the two World Heritage Sites of Unesco in Sindh.The capacity building of officers of Directorate of Archaeology and Museums Sindh (DAMS) is also part of the MoU between the two organisations.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Heritage Foundation Yasmeen Lari and Secretary Culture, Government of Sindh Abdul Aziz Uqaili jointly signed the MoU at National Museum of Pakistan Karachi on Saturday.

Govt Keen To Protect Heritage

By MM Alam; Pakistan Observer; february 11 2012

Karachi—Sassui Palijo Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism has said that after 18th amendment provinces were given charge of archeological sites and government was keen to carry out tremendous amount of work needed to be done on different aspects. She was speaking on the occasion of signing of a MoU between Sindh Department of Culture and Heritage Foundation for preservation of world’s largest necropolis Makli remains here in the National Museum.

Observing the annihilation due to ruthless activities in the past, Minister stressed on the need of augmenting awareness and said that local youth would be trained; surveillance and protection would be enhanced via construction of boundary wall and chowkidari system. She said that such areas were being surveyed and policies were being formulated. She informed that on 10th of March a conference on Bhambore was scheduled.

Yasmeen Lari Chairperson Heritage Foundation has said that heritage belonged to all and private organizations should also assist government in taking care of it. She lamented that there were encroachments, illegal constructions and wild growth in the unkempt site of Makli - nine square kilometer Necropolis that was inscribed in 1981 on World Heritage List. She said that Heritage Foundation was going to establish documentationcenter, do physical survey and drawings, training programs for artisans including women, etc. Abdul Aziz Uqaili Sindh Secretary Culture said that amongst various works that his department was engaged in, incorporated accommodation for documentation center, refurbishment of archeological bungalow, establishment of artisans’ workshops, definition of Necropolis’ limits etc.

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