ESPITE being blessed with countless historical sites spanning different ages and civilisations, Sindh and Balochistan, for a variety of reasons, have largely failed to preserve their priceless heritage. In the case of Sindh, there are frequent reports about the neglect of heritage. For example, as reported in this paper on Thursday, a Unesco team was in Thatta`s Makli necropolis recently to survey a 15th-century tomb which had apparently been damaged when poorly qualified individuals tried to restore it. If this were not enough, construction material had been dumped near the tomb. Makli has for long suffered from encroachments, while the condition of various other historical sites in Sindh is hardly any better. For example, Chowkandi, in Karachi`s outskirts, has been targeted by tomb raiders, while fresh burials have also reportedly occurred in the historic graveyard. Moreover, as recent accounts point out, numerous sights of historical and cultural importance on the outer rim of the metropolis have been bulldozed, along with villages, to make way for `development`. As opposed to Sindh`s unimpressive record in preserving heritage, KP has done a relatively better job of preserving at least the major sites, though smuggling of Gandhara-era artefacts remains a problem. Yet in KP, despite the authorities` efforts, fears of militancy keep visitors away, with foreigners only showing up once in a blue moon.

Preservation of history has two major benefits: firstly, it shows that we value our heritage and are concerned about holding on to it. On a more `worldly`level, it can generate significant revenues for the state if both domestic and foreign tourists can be drawn to heritage sites.

While law and order is a genuine concern in Balochistan and KP, Sindh does not have a militancy problem. Hence, if the Sindh administration had the vision and wherewithal to preserve the province`s rich heritage, instead of remaining in a perpetual state of apathy, local heritage sites spread across the province could attract tourists.