The Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that Sindh possesses world ancient civilisation heritage and added that all resources available to government would be utilised not only to discover, promote but also to preserve the treasure of the ancient civilisation of Sindh.
He said that the Provincial Culture Department would be made more effective and equipped to enable it for the excavations and preservation of the archaeological sites and its remains. This he observed while addressing the First International Bhanbhore Conference as a Chief Guest at archaeological sites of Bhanbhore, District Thatta today.
He said that after the Mohin-Jo-Daro the Bhanbhore is 2nd largest civilisation of Sindh which historically is known as Debal Bandar and conquered by Muhammad Bin Qasim who started Islamic preaching from here; it is, therefore, this site also that is being called Gateway of Islam.
He said that in the old time Indus River was flowing from the site of Bhanbhore but later on it diverted its way and the area was dried up and the people left the city for want of water. He said that the Indus River is a great civilisation because it is attached with the civilisation of the people of Sindh. He said that 1,300 years ago Bhanbhore was so rich that no civilisation was compared to it.
He expressed his concerned over the policies of the previous regimes that not only ignored the historical sites of Sindh but also left these unattended thus resulted these sites as ruined. He said that the PPP government is the party of the people, their emotions, their culture, their society and civilisation as such it has committed to protect and project the civilisation of Sindh and also to develop these sites to facilitate the local inhabitants and tourists as well. He said that Sindh possesses many such archaeological sites which include Mohin-jo-Daro, Rani Kot, Kot Digi, Makli, Bhanbhore, Chokandi and other unidentified buried treasures which are yet to be discovered. He said that the Provincial Culture Department now has to work hard and prepare the strategy to meet these challenges and hopefully, I am optimistic, that Culture Department has a talented team which can meet the requirements.
He said though Sindh is rich with an ancient civilisation but Thatta is one of the richest districts in this regard. He said that to discover, to preserve and to protect the archaeological sites Rs 20 million would be provided to the Cultural Department and added that such financial assistance would be continued in future as well. Later on, talking to the journalists, Sindh Chief Minister said that as many as 1,400 villages of Karachi has been regularised and directed the Commissioner Hyderabad, Deputy Commissioner Thatta to submit reports within a month for the regularisation of villages around Bhanbhore Archaeological Site.
Responding to another question, Sindh Chief Minister said that 60,000 contract workers have been regularised in addition to reinstate the services of 14,000 workers who were ejected from the different departments. He also said that 19,000 teachers have also been regularised. Responding to a question about issuance of CNIC Cards to the strangers, Sindh Chief Minister said that according to his opinion those who can after 1956 are not eligible for having CNIC Cards from here.
Responding to another question about the Division of the Sindh, Sindh Chief Minister said that those who are talking about the Division of Sindh are curving another province are basically enemy of Pakistan. He said that no one has courage to divide Sindh and added that People's Party would be proved as strong wall against such nefarious designs.