TAXILA:  Eight persons were picked by law enforcement agencies, illegal arms were seized during a massive combing launched by law enforcement agencies in Punj Khatta area bordering Taxila on Saturday. The area is high security zone due to presence of sensitive areas as well as premier educational institution.

Police backed by army, counter terrorism department flanked with elite force officials and lady police launched a massive combing in Punj Khatta area from Jandial to Bhera area bordering Taxila and during house to house search seized illegal weapons including one sub machine gun with 96 rounds, three 12 bore guns and one 30 bore pistol with many rounds and picked eight suspects. The suspects were identified as Abdul Basit resident of  Tull, Hangu, Umer Ali resident of Mardan, Moladad resident of Pind Ghakra, Mohammad Maqsood resident of Barra, Khyber Agency, Musa Khan resident of Lakki Marwat, Mohammad Ayub resident of Khar, Bajaur Agency, Mohammad Anwer resident of lower Kurrum Agency and Tajdar Akbar resident of Swabi.   The suspects were arrested and shifted to police station for further investigation.

TAXILA: Scores of stucco sculptures dated back to 4 –5 th century AD at Mohra Moradu Stupa and Monastery are crumbling fast as recent rains has damaged them due to lack of proper care by the federal department of archaeology and museums.

Mohra Moradu Stupa and Monastery has its own significance and importance in archaeological history of Pakistan as it among three sites of 18 Buddhist sites of Taxila valley which has a good priceless collection intact stucco sculptures and figures of lord Buddha which are still intact at various cell of this monastery. The Mohra Moradu Monastery flourished as a beacon of knowledge from 4th to 5th centuries AD and is located in a small valley between Sirkap called second city of ancient Taxila valley civilization and Jaulian, known as ancient Taxila Buddhist University. It has been savagely damaged by treasure-hunters who split apart the main stupa hoping to find gold inside. The lower portions of the stupa were protected, however, as earth covered most of the site before excavation began under the auspices of John Marshall earlier in the 20th century. A Buddhist shrine, the monastery was once a place of meditation in the rural areas outside of busy Sirkap, the second city of Taxila. The stupa is famous for the many bas-reliefs of Buddha that adorn its base. The monastic cells around the stupa are badly damaged, but yielded such treasures as the stone stupas. The settlement had been restored briefly before it was abandoned, after the invasion of the White Huns at the end of the fifth century.

 Keeping its importance UNESCO put this site on its list of the world cultural heritage sites in 1980. But the officials of federal department of archaeology and museums who are called custodian of cultural heritage of country turned back towards the proper care, maintenance of sheds erected to save these centuries old stucco sculptures from rain and other climatic agents resultantly they are torn down and recent three weeks of the monsoon rains has badly damaged various images and sculptures and now they are crumbling and on the verge of decay. During visit to this ancient site it was observed that as sheds over the ancient stupa and cells torn due to poor maintenance and care resultantly rain water make their way inside cells and it damage around 80 percent of stucco sculptures and figures at various cells of the monastery. The rainy water which remains flowing through huge cracks of holes in shed erected decades before results in dissolving various parts of stucco sculptures and figures of lord Buddha. Mohammed Afzal, caretaker at monastery said that shed in deplorable condition and various holes and cracks appeared from where water flow and damage these sculptures. He said that the sheds are no more in position to sustain as wooden planes are badly damaged and near to crumbled if it collapsed it would also damage the stucco figures under it. He said that he informed the higher authorities about this sorry state of affair but they have taken no action so far for the reason best known to them.

It was observed that in cells one of the figure foot, other shoulder and in stupa whole figures made of stucco are dissolving due to rains as no proper care and maintenance has been by the so-called custodians of the cultural heritage who have left these priceless antiquities to decay. There was seepage on the walls of the cells which was proof of the fact that huge quantity of water absorbed in to walls of the cell due to criminal neglect of the officials concerned. Some insider in federal department of archaeology and museums Sub regional office Taxila told this correspondent that higher officials are well aware of the alarming situation at this site. He said that during previous fiscal year, officials of Taxila to Swat ancient site preservation and restoration project spend huge money on construction of boundary wall, erecting of iron grill and construction of watchman room and nothing has been done for chalking out preservation project due to their vested interests. He said that as preservation is a lengthy and technical work which left little “share” for these officials therefore they focused on constructions instead of their primary job of preservation.

When contacted, Mohammad Bhadur Khan, deputy director of federal department of archaeology and museums has given stereotype answer of the lacks of proper funds for chalking out of preservation project for the safety of these stucco sculptures. He said that due to financial problems, funds has cut short and due to limited financial resources, department is unable to execute the preservation and restoration plan which require huge funds. He said that about the damaging of sculptures at Mohra Maradu stupa due to recent rains, a report has submitted to authorities at Ministry of Culture for provision of funds on war footing basis to save the stucco sculptures from further destruction.

Pakistan’s devastating rains are now threatening the ancient archeological sites, besides leaving millions of people dependent on the humanitarian aid for survival, an archaeologist told this correspondent. Pakistan has been ravaged by nearly three weeks of the monsoon rains. The flooding has affected one-fifth of the country and hit up to 20 million people, destroying the crops, the infrastructure, towns and villages. Due to this climatic devastation now country cultural heritage is also at stake. He said that it is SOS call for UNESCO and other donor agencies of Japan, Korea, France, Italy and other countries where Buddhism is practicing religion come forward and play their active role for the preservation and restoration of these sites as country economy and infrastructure is not able to do this job in this time of national crisis.

Crumbling Buddha figures in side a cell in Mohra Moradu Stupa and Monastery. Due to recent rains stucco sculptures are decaying fast due to proper care and safety measures by the officials of federal department of archaeology and museums.