FIR filed against owners of Raj Kapoor’s house

Two floors already demolished

PESHAWAR: The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums lodged an FIR on Sunday against the owners of Raj Kapoor’s former family haveli for demolishing a national heritage site. The complaint was registered at Khan Raziq police station.

Kabuli SHO Noor Muhammad accepted the application of Directorate Archaeology and Museums Director Dr Abdul Samad. Also, Peshawar Museum in charge Nawazuddin filed a case against homeowners Israr, Ali Qadir and Hassan Qadir for violating the K-P Antiquities Act 1997.



The nearly century-old haveli is located in Dhakki Marwat, Qissa Khwani in the limits of Kabuli police station. The building was earmarked as a site in need of preservation. As part of a section of the K-P Antiquities Act 1997, the building was termed national and cultural heritage and for that purpose correspondence was submitted to city district government.

Owners of the existing building demolished the top two storeys late Friday night/Saturday morning. The work was ultimately halted by the archaeology directorate.

Meanwhile, a process claiming to secure the building was under way and officials said the owners committed a crime by violating the antiquity law.



According to the K-P Antiquities Act 1997, buildings over 70 years old cannot be changed without the consent of the government as well as the archaeology department.

The provincial administration had earlier tried to buy the house from the owners to convert it into a museum honouring the acting legend but the plan could not come through.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2016.