Greed trumps heritage again

Evacuee Trust Property Board endorsed the razing of an archaeological building inside the walled city of Peshawar

There’s no gainsaying the fact that the country does precious little to preserve its archeological sites. As far afield as the eye can travel, the sorry state of ancient structures and sculptures is in full public glare. As if that wasn’t enough, an official of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) recently endorsed the razing of an archaeological building inside the walled city of Peshawar by its owner. The demolition of the 150-year-old building, a fine architectural specimen near Asamai Gate in Ander Sheher locality, was indeed a cruel and senseless act. The 19^th-century structure had featured in the Unesco publication titled Doors of Peshawar.

While a local police station has registered a case against the deputy administrator and the owner, it is unfortunate that a structure constructed between the years 1830-1860 was turned into rubble by the very body that was responsible for its preservation. The ETPB was set up by the government to administer evacuee properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs left behind after partition. Instead of performing its duty the Board granted permission to construct a commercial plaza at the site. Greed has trumped heritage again.

This is the second such incident in Peshawar, in less than two weeks. Earlier, a three-storey house of the Sikh era that was lying on the heritage trail was demolished also by the owner. Not only have these actions raised questions on ETPB functions, it has also raised doubts about the Town Municipal Administration Peshawar. The plan to build a commercial plaza on the site of Doors of Peshawar was approved by the administration despite regulations prohibiting the razing of a heritage building under the K-P Antiquity Act of 2016. Since Peshawar has an abundance of archeological sites, it is the provincial government’s responsibility to protect the same.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2018.

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