Rightful ownership: Senate panel seeks handover of heritage sites

Urges for conservation, public access of these spaces.

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday sought the retrieval of key heritage sites from the possession of the security establishment, including Bala Hissar Fort in Peshawar and Jinnah House in Lahore.

The committee is seeking the handover of these sites to organisations responsible for preserving and protecting them.

Bala Hissar Fort is currently used by the Frontier Corps as their headquarters in Peshawar while Jinnah House is utilised by the Corps Commander, Lahore, as his official residence.

In a meeting presided over by Senator Kamil Ali Aga, PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said these sites should be handed over to the relevant preservation departments and the public should be given access to such spaces.

Agha pointed out that many historical monuments, such as Aiwan-e-Iqbal in Lahore, are in need of maintenance.

Federal Secretary Information and Broadcasting Dr Nazir Saeed told the committee that, following the 18th amendment, many cultural heritage sites have been handed over to the provincial governments.

He said a special cell has now been created, with the prime minister’s permission, to control these sites, particularly those named on international heritage lists.

He added that this cell will create a policy regarding the development of these sites and present it to the cabinet for approval.

Earlier, the committee discussed the issue of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation’s (PBC) former Urdu news reader Rizwana Khan, who complained to the committee about harassment by an employee of the PBC who allegedly forcibly removed her from a hostel room of the Pakistan Broadcasting Association.

PCB officials said Khan was misusing access to the room by holding private functions there, saying she was not entitled to a hostel room under her contract.

They added that Khan had approached the court and the federal ombudsman, but had lost her case on both forums.

However, the committee asked for a detailed report within 10 days regarding the issue and criticised the PBC for failing to hold a departmental inquiry under the Anti-Harassment Act.

The committee’s chairman said the complainant will be summoned once the inquiry report is submitted and a recommendation subsequently forwarded.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2014.