LARKANA, March 1: The executive board of the National Fund for Moenjodaro has approved creation of a scout force to protect the 5,000-year-old city from the onslaught of visitors on traditional festivals, like Eid and other public holidays.

The board decided in its 5th meeting held at Moenjodaro on Friday that 40 scouts would be deployed at the site to check unwanted movement of people and guide them properly so as to ensure protection of the ancient city.

A full dress rehearsal of scouts would be held on March 12, the meeting decided.

The meeting was chaired by Sindh Minister for Culture Sassui Palijo and attended by Abdul Aziz Uqaili, secretary of culture, Ms Kuzu Kay Nagata, country director of Unesco, Larkana Commissioner Abdul Razzaq Soomro, archaeologist Dr Kaleem Lashari, Dr Michael Johnson and Qasim Ali Qasim, director of archaeology, according to Mr Uqaili.

He told Dawn here on Friday the board authorised the culture department to appoint two local tour guides who should be well versed in English, Urdu and Sindhi and who would be paid out of NFM. They would start working at the site to facilitate tourists, particularly foreigners, he said.

He said the executive board confirmed minutes of the last meeting and asked the technical consultative committee to weigh risks and benefits of tree plantation plan at the site.

Later, a joint meeting of the executive board and technical consultative committee discussed the Master Plan for Moenjodaro preservation. A consultant had been appointed to complete work on the 25-year Master Plan over the next six to eight months at a cost of Rs10 million, said Mr Uqaili.

He said the Master Plan was being prepared after a gap of 39 years. The first one was prepared during the days of Z.A Bhutto in 1974, he said.

Ms Palijo unveiled plaque of the development scheme titled “preservation, conservation, promotion and development of archaeological sites of Moenjodaro including a detailed Master Plan” which marked the launch of the plan.

Benazir Bhutto Museum inaugurated

Later on Thursday, Ms Palijo inaugurated the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Museum being constructed on the premises of Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Memorial Library at a cost of Rs60 million.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, she said that items which were in personal use of Benazir Bhutto, her family photos and letters etc. were being collected for the museum.

A managing board would be formed to run affairs of the museum, she said, adding that before Moenjodaro’s handover to Sindh culture department, the federal government had given up the practice of holding meetings at the ancient site, which, as a result, dampened international organisations’ interest in the 5,000-year-old city.