LARKANA: The Ford car used by Sir John Marshall during excavation of World Heritage archaeological site of Mohenjo Daro has not yet been repaired and renovated by the provincial Culture & Tourism Department despite passage of two years.
The car was used by him for ten years between 1922-1932 and when he left the site he handed it over to the then management of historical ruins as a gift. It was neither looked after by the then authorities nor it was brought in proper shape by subsequent federal or provincial governments and they kept it neglected.
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Two years ago, on the directions of Sindh’s Culture and Tourism Department Minister Syed Sardar Shah, it was shifted to Karachi on the pretext of getting it repaired and renovated but till to date it has neither been repaired, renovated nor it has been sent back to the Mohenjo Daro museum so that visitors could be able to watch it.
This has created lot of unrest and suspicion among the civil society members and lovers of archaeology who say it might be kept somewhere else. The 94-year-old historical car was kept in a negligible store in Mohenjo Daro which caused severe damages.
Mohenjo Daro Curator Ihsan Abbasi said the car was shifted to Karachi on the directions of the Culture Minister Syed Sardar Shah who promised to send it back after proper repairs and renovation.
Civil Society members including Dodo Deshi, Sabir Jarwar, Aziz Brohi and others suspected that the car will be kept in National Museum, Karachi, after repairs and will not be brought back.
They also warned that if it was not returned to Mohenjo Daro then they will come out on roads and protest against ‘high handedness’ of the Culture and Tourism Department.
They demanded the PPP Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to take notice of the matter, order Car’s immediate repair and renovation so that it could be kept at Mohenjo Daro museum as a treasure as great nations always value antiques.
