60 years and counting


Maha Mussadaq July 26, 2010

ISLAMABAD: A 60-year-old plan for construction of an archaeology museum in the capital still has no signs of materialising.

According to a plan drawn up in 1947, the capital must have an archaeology museum.

When the capital was shifted from Karachi to Islamabad in the 1960s, the official announcement was made that a museum will be constructed. However, no official documentation was drafted in this regard.

During Nawaz Sharif’s tenure in the 1990s, the matter was brought up again. A proposal was approved and the location at Shakarparian was designated for its construction.

The original location for the museum was where the Prime Minister’s Secretariat is currently situated. Now, a signboard near Shakarparian reads “Site for National Museum of Pakistan, Islamabad”.

“The project has now been pending for 60 years, but because of several constraints including financial problems, it may be just a dream,” said an official at the Department of Archaeology, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Culture.

“The archaeology department is already lacking in funds, because of budget cuts in the culture sector. We do not see hope for this project this year, or even in the future,” he added.

However, Moinul Islam, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, while admitting that there are some constraints, said, “We are expecting that funds will be allocated next year,” he said.

A competition was held about five years ago for the design of a state-of-the-art museum in which history, from the Stone Age to date, culture and archaeology can be preserved and showcased. The winning design was approved by the Ministry of Culture.

Since then, the Department of Archaeology has been sending proposals to the Ministry of Finance regularly but has not received a positive response.

“The finance ministry always says that there is a shortage of funds,” said a source at the archaeology department.

According to Islam, the total land allocated for the project is 8.33 acres and the approximate total cost is Rs1.5 billion. The Ministry of Culture has paid Rs30 million for 3.24 acres and payment for the remaining 5 acres is pending budget approval.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2010.

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