Heritage Trail Project inauguration: Summersault by Directorate of Archaeology and Museums generates controversy

PESHAWAR: The summersault by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums about the inauguration of the Heritage Trail Project stirred a controversy and left the people confused about the exact status of the project.

The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums had launched the Heritage Trail Project on December 7 last year. It was supposed to be completed by April 7 last.

The outer structures of 80 shops and houses were planned to be given a beautiful look under the project costing Rs315 million. Though it was supposed to be completed in four months, it was delayed by almost two months.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the project held here on Monday.

The relevant officials through proper communications had announced that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak would inaugurate the project.

Though the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums had displayed the inaugural plaque carrying the name of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak at the site of the project, the questioning by journalists and certain political parties whether Pervez Khattak can inaugurate a scheme at a time when the government has completed its term on May 28 created an uncertain situation.

It was not clear whether or not Pervez Khattak would visit and inaugurate the project as was planned in the first place.

He was scheduled to unveil the plaque at 8:30pm but the media and people kept speculating about his arrival till 10:00pm.

Later, the officials of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums secretly removed the plaque but it was too late as the journalists had filmed it and taken its footage. The media was just told that Pervez Khattak was not coming to inaugurate the project.

Later though, the chief minister arrived at the site at around 10:30pm.He talked to the media and later addressed a few PTI activists who had gathered there and then left the spot.

The inauguration of the project was first marred by the protest staged by the residents of Bazaar-i-Kalan locality who were angry at the non-supply of water to their houses.

The residents and activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who had gathered there to welcome the chief minister, came face-to-face as the former were chanting slogans against the PTI, Heritage Trail Project and establishment of a food street in the locality.

The residents and PTI workers indulged in sloganeering against each other. Later, the office-bearers of the traders association intervened and assured the residents that the issue of water shortage in the locality would be addressed.

In a late night development, apparently to avoid any legal repercussions for inviting the chief minister as chief guest at a time when the PTI government had completed its tenure, the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums through its official WhatsApp group clarified that it was not inauguration as the chief minister had visited the site to review the progress on the project.

Nawazuddin, a research officer at the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, said it was a routine monitoring visit by the chief minister and not the inauguration of Heritage Trail Project.

He said the chief minister did not cut any ribbon or unveil any plaque. “No inaugural plaque was fixed or any inaugural ceremony was performed,” he insisted. The official, however, said that the Heritage Trail was now open to public.