ANP wants Unesco to determine artefacts authenticity

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) has written a letter to Unesco to send a team of experts to determine the authenticity of the Gandhara civilisation artefacts at the museums in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, ANP’s provincial spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour, who also heads the party’s provincial information committee, alleged that the original artefacts at the museum had been replaced with fake ones. She said that KP Director Archaeology Dr Abdul Samad was an accused as two inquiries were underway against him but he was still performing duties on the important post.

The ANP leader claimed that there was allegation of massive corruption against the official. She said that her party demanded his removal from the position till completion of the investigation. Other members of the information committee Salahud Din Momand, Taimour Baz Khan and others also addressed the press conference. Salahud Din Momand said that two special assistants had resigned from their positions, adding that whom to be made answerable for the allegation levelled against them.

Referring to the appointment of Dr Faisal Sultan as special assistant to the prime minister, he said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief was awarding lucrative positions to his friends. Another ANP leader Hamid Tofan said that the only mega project of PTI, Bus Rapid Transit, was still incomplete after more than two years. He said the government was not disclosing the details about the loan borrowed for the project.

He claimed that the government was misinforming the masses about the cost of the project and claimed that it was the most expensive transit project as its per kilometer cost was Rs3.67 billion, which would further increase till completion. Taimoor Baz said the ANP rejected the federal government’s Pakistan Medical Commission Ordinance. He alleged that PM Imran Khan’s cousin Nowsherwan Burki wanted to favour private medical institutions. Taimoor Baz said the inclusion of non-doctors in the commission was an attempt to destroy the health sector. He asked the government to remove hurdles to the restoration of PMDC. He said that PTI leaders were distributing public money among its cronies by appointing them to senior positions in violation of merit.