FIR filed for damaging historic site in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against individuals accused of damaging centuries-old city structures in Peshawar.

The FIR was lodged by the Archaeology Department under the Archaeology Intellectual Property Act of 2016. According to the details, the accused are alleged to have harmed a historic wall at the Sarki Gate by breaking parts of it and constructing shops at the site.

The Archaeology Department highlighted that legislation enacted in 2016 protects such heritage sites, with the Director of Archaeology emphasizing that damaging these structures is a serious offense under the law.

Peshawar’s iconic city wall is known for its 16 gates and includes three significant landmarks: the Bala Hissar Fort, Tehsil, and Gor Khatri.

In 2022, United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres visited the UNESCO world heritage archeological site Mohenjo Daro that was badly damaged due to floods and heavy rains.

Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Syed Sardar Shah briefed him about the preservation work of the Mohenjo Daro sites.

The minister told Guterres that the archeological site had received 943milimetres of rain in the past two months.

Talking to the media, the UNSG reiterated that Pakistan had no capacity to rebuilding and reconstruction and urged the global community to play its role in this regard.