‘Treasure hunters’ dig up old grave in Mansehra

MANSEHRA: A group of treasure hunters dug up an old abandoned grave in the Pulrah area in the wee hours of Tuesday. The hunters, according to locals, excavated the right side of the grave in the Pulrah area of Tanawal and decamped with some antiquities.

The locals rushed to the scene in the morning and wrapped up the damaged portion of the grave with rocks and soil. “There is no skeleton or bone or human remains inside it but only traces of an old big utensil, which I think is taken away by the excavators,” Bukhtar Tanoli, a local, said. He added that treasure hunters were active in Tanawal area of Mansehra district and excavated centuries-old graveyards in Sarni, Romli, Khaliala and Sawan Mera villages.

“The treasure hunters managed to dig up the sculptures and other ancient antiquities from some places and continued their mission,” said Tanoli. Another local, Bilal Aman, said that it was a common perception and widely accepted that it was the Hindu-dominated village and they buried their gold and other precious goods in fear of theft when they left for India at the time of partition. “And the treasure hunters are active in search of such left-over gold and other antiquities,” he added.