News
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Antiquities may cause row between Sindh, KP govts* KP authorities demand possession
* Archaeologists say Sindh also has such relics civilization
By Razzak Abro
KARACHI: Antiquities authorities of Sindh on Saturday remained engage in examination and documentation of the antiquities recovered by Karachi police from Landhi.
The final possession of recovered antiquities may cause a row between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa governments as both are claiming the property.
According to Additional Secretary of Culture Department Sindh, Ashfaq Hussain Mausvi, examination of some 180 objects had been done. He said that there were remaining four to five packets which were being examined. He said that the antiquities officials were also making documentation of the objects. Police had recovered antiquities, including ancient idols and statues of Gandhara Civilization, in a raid on container in Landhi which were being transported to Sialkot. According to antiquities department authorities, these antiquities were also brought from Sialkot to finalise custom formalities.
The Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa’s (KP) Culture Minister Syed Aqil Shah told local reporters that his government would formally approach Sindh government authorities for seeking possession of the impounded antiquities. He said that his province had remained centre of the Gandhara Civilization in the country, therefore, those antiquities, would be kept there.
However, the Sindh government authorities as well as archeologists of the province were opposing the demand. Additional Secretary Culture, Ashfaq Mausvi, said that the remains of the Gandhara Civilization were also found in Khirthar range and other parts of the province. However, he added, court would decide the matter. Renowned archeologist, Ishtiaq Ansari, said Sindh had also remained part of the Gandhara Civilization, and human ashes of Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism are buried in Kahu Jo Daro, Mirpurkhas. He said that the history shows that Gautama Buddha’s human ashes were initially sent to some eight countries, and later to 84 countries, and the Sindh was also among those areas.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk