Disappearance of ‘Nawabi topkhana’ causes unrest in Dir

The disappearance of two vintage artillery pieces from the Nawab of Dir’s former guest house, are the topic of heated discussion on social media in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Both the artillery pieces are believed to be at least a 100-year-old and had been kept at the Panah Kot Rest House. The rest house was previously used as the official guest house in the princely state of Dir and later it was converted into a rest house. Both the artillery guns were kept in the rest house as decoration pieces.

The issue was brought to the focus of general public when tehsil president Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Israr Yousafzai shared it on his Twitter handle and on Friday addressed a press conference on the issue, alleging that Deputy Commissioner Dir Upper gifted the artillery pieces to chief minister K-P.

He said that both the pieces were unique because these artillery guns were produced by the state-run arms factory of Dir.

“These guns are a part of Dir’s rich history and culture and stealing them is unpardonable,” he said, adding that as per law no individual could keep it.

“After bringing the issue to the notice of general public, the district administration withdrew my security too which had been provided to me due to the deteriorating law and order situation in the region,” he said, adding that both the guns should be brought back.

When contacted DC Akmal Khan Khattak said that there has been a court case about the ownership of these guns with the Nawab of Dir’s family and no individual could possess such guns.

“Because of this these two guns were removed from the rest house and sent to the office of Commissioner Malakand,” he said.

General public criticized the move and said that the rest house was occupied by army for a decade but they didn’t touch the guns and now its mysterious disappearance has caused turmoil on social media.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2022.