Alleged replacement of artifacts: NAB grills Archeology directorate officials

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa grilled the officials of the Directorate of Archeology and Museums during inquiries into the alleged replacement of artifacts with replicas and illegal appointments, sources said.

Sources in the NAB KP confirmed to The News that it has been investigating the two cases for quite some time.They said a three-member team of NAB KP raided two facilities and seized the record involving theft of relics and artifacts that had been reportedly taken away and replaced with replicas.

The team was also probing illegal appointments recently made in the Directorate of Archeology and Museums, the sources added.The NAB KP, the sources said, had time and again issued notices to the Directorate of Archeology and Museums to submit record in the two cases but its directions were ignored.

“The NAB KP usually seizes the record if the officials concerned do not cooperate with it,” an official said while pleading anonymity.To a question if the NAB team has seized all the record of the Directorate of Archeology and Museums, the source clarified that record involving only the aforementioned cases was seized during the raid and concerned officials were questioned during the action.

The NAB KP team raided the Directorate of Archeology and Museums at 2 o’clock, remained there for hours and questioned a number of officials at the two offices.However, the officials of the Directorate of Archeology and Museums did not agree that any record was seized or they were questioned.

Research Officer at the Directorate of Archeology and Museums, Nawazuddin said the NAB team questioned former director Professor Dr Naseem Khan, museums in-charge, collection in-charge and other concerned officials during the action.

He said the NAB team has only sought the record of the year 2002 and previous years.“They asked us to present them the record of various years. No question about illegal appointments and any project launched or artifact if missing during the tenure of present Director Directorate of Archeology and Museums Dr Abdul Samad was sought or any question asked in this regard,” he clarified.

He said mostly officials of museums were questioned and record was sought. “I categorically clarify that no record was seized during the raid,” he added.Director Dr Abdul Samad was also present when the NAB team raided and started questioning the officials of the two departments.