Culture Dept, UNESCO to hold int'l moot

HYDERABAD: Sindh Culture Department in collaboration with United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will organise an international conference in December 2012 for preservation of historical archeological site of Mohenjodaro.

The establishment of an international fund with preparation of a master plan for the preservation of Mohenjodaro will be considered by the participants of the conference, informed by Sindh Secretary for Culture Abdul Aziz Uqaili in a statement issued here on Friday.

He informed that Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Plaijo recently chaired a meeting of the Executive Board of National Fund for Mohenjodaro which made important decision for preservation of the historical site.

In the first phase, the Secretary said that the meeting, which was also attended by Director UNESCO at Islamabad Mrs Kozue Kay Nagata, decided to republish the book on Mohenjodaro and Indus Civilization,
written by renowned historian John Marshal in 1931. Besides, a table
calendar consisting information on Mohenjodaro will also be published
for the year 2012-2013, Abdul Aziz Uqaili informed.

The Secretary Culture informed that the meeting also decided to reopen the theft case of Mohenjodaro Museum and conduct detailed investigation of the case. Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo called the Deputy Superintendent of Police during the meeting and asked him to arrest the culprits involved in theft in Mohenjodaro Museum in the
year 2002 with recovery of stolen articles, he said.

The Secretary informed that the department has also decided to organise national and international level exhibitions to highlight the importance of Mohenjodaro as well as the culture and tourism of Sindh province. Besides, pictorial literature on Mohejodaro will also be published for distribution among the visitors of the site, he said and added that the department will provide maximum facilities to the tourist.

The Secretary informed that the meeting also decided to form an administrative structure for accomplishment of the tasks set for preservation of Mohenjodaro and in this connection, the meeting also constituted a two member technical committee comprising Dr. Kaleem Lashari and Syed Hakim Ali Shah.

Abdul Aziz Uqaili informed that the meeting also approved the regularisation of services of contractual employees of National Fund for Mohenjodaro and that the decision will help in removing unrest among
the employees of the Fund. (APP)