Karoonjhar Mountains await heritage status

Sindh govt yet to comply with SHC orders to ascertain cultural, historic importance

HYDERABAD:

The idyllic Karoonjhar Mountains in Tharparkar desert, whose attributes also include religious, cultural and historic significance, are still awaiting official determination of its natural heritage status.

The Sindh government has apparently failed to comply with the Sindh High Court's order in this regards, it surfaced during the hearing of a petition concerning the mountain at the Hyderabad circuit bench on Tuesday.

The bench of Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Omar Sial summoned in person the Sindh secretary culture and tourism. He has been asked to bring the compliance report of the order dated January 7.

Over a year ago, the court had ordered the provincial government to form a committee of experts which will conduct thorough and multifaceted research on the mountain to come to a conclusion about its heritage status.

"… they [experts] shall study the mountain with regard to its unique features, culture and history," the order, which was reproduced in the latest order, reads. "If the same falls within the category of heritage then it should be declared heritage under The Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904, and Sindh Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, 1994."

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The court had given six months for completing the study and submitting its report. The Sindh government notified the committee, comprising seven members, on January 26, 2021. It was headed by Sindh secretary culture as its chairman and director general Sindh antiquities, director general mines and minerals, former archaeology secretary Dr Kaleemullah Lashari, Sindh university geology department's director and historian Dr Mashkoor Phulkaro were its members.

However, a year has passed but the committee has not reportedly completed the court assigned task. Karoonjhar stretches to around 30 kilometers in Nangarparkar taluka of Tharparkar. There are some 109 hillocks and 108 religious sites on the mountain, according to historian Mushtaq Phulkaro.

Some private companies besides the Frontier Works Organization have been mining granite and other minerals from the mountain to utter dismay of the local residents who revere the mountain for it being home to cultural and religious sites.

On January 7, the civil judge and judicial magistrate Karam Ali Shah Ordered the FWO and M/S Kohinoor Marble Industries Private Ltd to stop the stone cutting works and to immediately leave the area. However, that order has also been challenged in the SHC which will review the said order at the next hearing on February 16.

A court in Tharparkar district has ordered the companies engaged in mining and crushing of the scenic Karoonjhar Mountain to immediately halt their works and to remove their machinery as well.

“The respondents are unconditionally directed to remove all machinery and stop their work on all ranges of this mountain,” reads the order given on Friday by the civil judge and judicial magistrate of Nangarparkar taluka Karam Ali Shah.

The work has been ordered to stop because it is causing nuisance to the local community which has been protesting against the mountain cutting exercise from a long time.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2022.