SHC seeks list of ancient properties listed under 1904 monuments preservation law

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the provincial culture secretary to submit the list of ancient properties declared under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act.

The direction came during the hearing of a case with regard to preservation of ancient and heritage sites of the province. A single bench of the high court comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar directed the culture secretary to categorise the ancient properties having heritage and antiquities value with respect of their ownership by the public-owned and private-owned persons.

The SHC also directed the secretary to notify a committee to frame criteria of re-habilitation work and promotion of the ancient sites that had already been declared under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904.

The high court observed that the committee shall submit a workout mechanism with regard to the provision of information about the properties to local as well as foreign visitors, and also devise a mechanism to ensure provision of all necessary facilities to the tourists at those sites, including digital tools.

The bench observed that the committee shall ensure that except properties declared under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904, no new rehabilitation project was launched till the committee had decided the characteristics/historical value of the heritage sites notified in 2019.

The high court observed that the committee shall also examine the criteria of recruitment in culture department from grade 17 onwards and shall include bachelors and masters degrees in social sciences, history, archive, library sciences, and other relevant subjects for those posts and amend the rules and by-laws within two months.

The bench observed that after framing of such rules, the department shall send a requisition to the Sindh Public Service Commission to fill up the vacant posts.

The SHC observed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had formed a tourism police force to provide a safe and tourism-friendly environment to tourists in the province. The bench observed that the Sindh culture department should ensure that a similar police force was introduced in Sindh for tourism-friendly environment. The high court also observed that the department shall recruit tour guides as directed by the court on various occasions and shall also ensure implementation of concept of audio tour guides with the qualifications of history, archive or culture.

The SHC also directed the culture department to introduce more efficient modern methods of transmitting information with scientific tools informing the tourists about history of Mohen-jo-Daro, Bhanbhore, Kot Diji, Rohri Hills, like the Lok Virsa at Islamabad. The high court observed that the culture shall start pilot projects in this regard from Mohen-Jo-Daro and Bhanbhore.