Masjid Mahabat Khan conservation work delayed

PESHAWAR: The much-needed conservation work of the 17th century Mughal-era Masjid Mahabat Khan cannot be started yet due to wrangling between the Directorate of Archeology and Auqaf department.

The officials of the Directorate of Archeology and Museums said the non-cooperation of the Auqaf Department and district administration to remove the encroachments from the property and surrounding areas of the mosque were impeding conservation and preservation work on the mosque.

The Auqaf Department officials, on the other hand, said they were not taken into confidence about the removal of encroachments and vacating the shops it had leased out to shopkeepers.

Built during the period 1660-1670, the historic mosque was named after the then governor of Peshawar Nawab Mahabat Khan. He served as governor of Peshawar under the Mughal emperors Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb.

The mosque is in a shambles as no rehabilitation work has been done since long.The walls, interior and exterior of the mosques are crumbling and other structures are decaying.

The Mughal-era frescoes, motifs and other Islamic calligraphy have been damaged.

The encroachments around the mosque have affected the beauty of the centuries-old marvel of builders of Mughal-era. Around 41 shops constructed around and below the mosques have weakened the foundations of the mosque. These are an impediment to the conservation work.

Nawazuddin, spokesperson for the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, said the department through a notification issued on December 5 last year had requested the district administration to help remove the encroachments and get vacated the 41 shops around the mosque so that the physical work on conservation and repair could be launched. He lamented that no step was taken in this regard.

The official said the government had prepared a three-year plan to restore the mosque in its original condition with an estimated cost of Rs87 million.

Nawazuddin said the government had allocated Rs20 million in the fiscal budget for 2017-18 for carrying conservation work of the mosque.

He said under the project, the department would demolish any new structure erected on the mosque premises and restore it to its original shape. “The conservation work can be launched if these shops are closed and encroachments removed,” he added.

The official said the issue had been raised with the Auqaf Department time and again but to no avail.

He said shops were owned by the Auqaf Department and it had leased out the shops since long.

Sharafatullah, the deputy administration officer in Auqaf, said the Directorate of Archeology and Museums had not taken up the issue with them.The official said notices were required to be issued to the shopkeepers for vacating the shops.

He said that Auqaf Department was ready to cooperate with the Directorate of Archeology and Museums for this good work. He said the Directorate of Archeology and Museums had never sought its help to get shops vacated or the encroachments removed.

However, Nawazuddin said the matter was discussed several times in various meetings with the officials of the Auqaf Department.

Superintendent District Administration Muhammad Sadiq said he was unaware of any letter sent to the administration by Directorate of Archeology for the removal of encroachments around the Masjid Mahabat Khan.

Nawazuddin said the Directorate of Archeology and Museums would again write letters to the Auqaf department and district administration for removal of the encroachments so that the much-needed repair and conservation work as soon as possible.