THATTA, Sept 24: While the Executive District Officer (Revenue) Thatta, Nasir Soomro, has denied any excavation activity by the former MPA Ghulam Qadir Palijo in the limits of Makli necropolis, the Curator of Makli hill monuments, Kazim Raza Zaidi, however, has sought the intervention of his seniors to help save Makli monuments from allaged destruction at the hands of the father of Sindh Minister for Culture Sassui Palijo.

In a letter addressed to Director Archaeology Hyderabad, he has sought intervention as well as help of Sindh and Thatta District Government to save the territorial limits of Makli necropolis being illegally occupied by the former MPA Mr Ghulam Qadir Palijo, father of the sitting provincial minister for Culture & Tourism Sassui Palijo.

Elaborating the importance of the Makli monumental necropolis, the curator maintained that Makli is one of the greatest Muslim Necropolis in the world which is also included in the list of world heritage with over half million graves and 37 monuments, spreading over an area of 912 acres. The necropolis, the curator said, is replete with history with 500 glorious years and protected under Antiquities Act 1975. Copies of the letter, also sent to DCO Thatta , District Nazim Thatta , DPO Thatta and other concerned officials, the Curator alleged that Mr Ghulam Qadir Palijo had widely penetrated into the protected site by excavating the earth with the help of heavy machinery.

An official version issued by the EDO Revenue Thatta, Nasir Soomro, based on the reports compiled by a two-member inquiry committee here on Wednesday, however, says that the Makli hill monuments fall within the jurisdiction of Deh Makli, while the lands of Ghulam Qadir Palijo existed in Deh Nareja, just at the juncture of the two dehs.

In yet another development, Aijaz Budhani advocate, has moved a constitutional petition in the High Court of Sindh in Karachi for the protection of historical sites at Makli .

District Nazim Syed Shafqat Shah Shirazi has asked the DCO and the DPO to help vacate the land allegedly occupied by former MPA Ghulam Qadir Palijo in the Makli necropolis.