Chaukhandi graveyard to be developed as Archaeological Park
Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar. SCREENGRAB
Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar on Tuesday visited Chaukhandi graveyard to chalk out a plan to restore the archaeological site.
During his visit, Secretary Local Govt Manzoor Shaikh, Secretary Culture Aleem Lashari, Secretary Works Nawaz Sohoo, Commissioner Karachi Saleem Rajput, DG KDA Tahir Sangi, Archaeologist Dr Kaleem Lashari, Ali Naqvi and others were also present and gave him a briefing.
The chief minister witnessed that the stone-carved graves and tombs were crumbling and needed an urgent restoration. He also witnessed encroachments and illegal structures near the graveyard.
Secretary Culture Aleem Lashari briefed the CM that after the 18th amendment in the constitution, the administrative control of the graveyard was transferred to the Sindh government in April 2013.
The CM was told that the Chaukhandi graveyard was declared a `Protected’ area and the UNESCO had placed it on the tentative list in 1993.
The Chaukhandi graveyard houses tombs of warriors of Baloch and Jokhio families from the 17th and 18th centuries. These tombs are built on raised platforms in a pyramid form with decorative stone slabs covered in relief with human and figurative designs. Most of the tombs represent family graveyards and only a few are placed under pillar canopies. The carvings on some of the male graves show a horseman with his arms, shield, sword, bow and arrow.
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The carvings on women’s graves represent ornaments such as bracelets, necklaces, rings, anklets, etc.
Dr Kaleem Lashari told the CM that illegal burials were one of the appalling issues as the local people bury their dead in this graveyard. “This is one of the reasons that UNESCO did not declare the graveyard as International Heritage.
The CM directed commissioner Karachi to remove the Illegal parking of heavy trucks near the main entrance, adjacent to the boundary wall of the graveyard.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2023.