Qasim Fort: National Heritage awaits government attention
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MULTAN (APP): People have demanded the authorities concerned to preserve the boundary wall of ancient Qasim Fort, which was recently explored during demolition of the waste management office in line with beautification plan, here in the city.
The local administration had announced the beautification plan in the recent past to attract tourists and offer healthy recreation to citizens.
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) was entrusted with special task to beautify the ancient Qasim Fort. Different offices including Haji Camp, Police Station, Waste Management Office, Auqaf Department, and some others were present at the Fort. Notices were served on the offices in order to vacate the buildings.
During removal of solid waste management office, the labourers found a wall, which is considered as the real boundary wall of thousand-year-old Fort Kuhna Qasim, by archeology experts. The wall is 25 feet long, 8 to 10 feet high, while its width varies from 2 to 15 feets. It is present in front of Kheyam Cinema. Similarly, the labourers also found bation of wall near Mehfil Cinema. The experts opined that the boundary wall of the ancient fort could be explored further.
Sub-divisional officer Archeology Ghulam Muhammad told APP that it was thousands year old wall. He termed it real boundary wall of the Fort. He stressed the need for preserving it.
About future of the explored wall, Parks and Horticulture Authority's spokesperson Jalal Ahmed said the district administration had not handed over Fort Qasim to the PHA so far. He said that the district administration would decide about the fate of the wall soon.
Hanif Chaudhry, a historian and scholar who completed his PhD at the age of 85, demanded the government to manage digging further and explore remaining portion of the wall. He also advocated re-construction and preservation of the wall in order to restore beauty of the Fort.
He recalled that he had seen some portion of the wall in 1948, when he was an employ with the veterinary department in the city. Quoting from a book, Chaudhry said that three horses could run simultaneously at this wall.
Another literary figure Israr Chaudhry stated that Metro Bus Station is also located near the Qasim Fort and in case the wall is restored to its original shape, it would be good addition of another enchanting site in this five-thousand years old City of Saints.
It is pertinent to mention here that internationally famed shrines of known saints Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya and Hazrat Shah Ruknuddin Alam are also located at the Fort.
