Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against those responsible for damaging historical sites in Peshawar.
The Archaeology Department has registered the FIR under the Archaeology Intellectual Property Act of 2016. The accused are said to have caused damage to the historic wall at Sarki Gate, where they also built shops by dismantling parts of the structure.
The Archaeology Department emphasized the 2016 legislation aimed at protecting such sites, with the Director of Archaeology stating that damaging these historical structures is a serious crime under the law.
Peshawar’s city wall is home to 16 gates and important sites such as Bala Hissar Fort, Tehsil, and Gor Khatri.
In 2022, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited the UNESCO world heritage site Mohenjo Daro, which had been severely damaged by floods and heavy rains. Sindh’s Minister for Culture and Tourism, Syed Sardar Shah, briefed Guterres on preservation efforts, highlighting the site’s substantial rainfall of 943 millimeters over the past two months. Guterres urged the international community to support Pakistan in rebuilding and restoring these important heritage sites.
