Riyadh, June 3 (IANS) Pakistan’s centuries-old fortress, once a strategic stronghold guarding key routes into the Indian subcontinent, is slowly deteriorating due to neglect, encroachment, and environmental damage despite being protected under the country’s Antiquities Act of 1975, a report has stated.

“Nearly 40 kilometres from Islamabad, on a rugged plateau encircled by the Soan River and the hills of the Potohar region, the ruins of a once-formidable fortress rise above the landscape. Believed to date back to the Hindu Shahi period before later expansion by the Gakhar tribe between the 10th and 15th centuries, the fort once guarded key routes leading into the Indian subcontinent and is regarded by historians as one of the region’s most significant surviving heritage sites,” a report in Saudi Arabia-based English daily ‘Arab News’ detailed.

According to the report, overgrown vegetation has engulfed parts of the fortification walls and gates, while livestock are seen moving through the ruins. It added that the site was marred by plastic waste and signs of human activity, with some residents establishing small farms near the outer walls.

“Wild climate effects continue to weaken the structure. It took nearly a year just to clear plant growth from the fortification walls during the survey work in 2023,” Arab News quoted Pakistan’s Deputy Director of the Department of Archaeology Abdul Ghafoor Lone as saying.

Ghafoor, who has closely documented the site, said that nearly 20 to 30 percent of the structure has been damaged. Although he described the fort as strong enough to endure for centuries, he warned that persistent delays in conservation efforts could accelerate its deterioration.

The report noted that currently around 25 families continue to reside inside the fort vicinity, including members of the Gakhar community who trace their lineage to the historic tribe linked to the site.

For many residents, it said, the fort represents not just a historical monument but a living symbol of their family identity and lineage.

“This is our identity and recognition,” Arab News quoted 27-year-old Subhan Kiyani as saying, whose family has resided in the area for generations.

Standing amid damaged walls and decaying structures, Kiyani highlighted the sense of isolation faced by those residing inside the settlement.

“There is no school here, no hospital, and no proper roads,” he said, pointing toward the Soan River where residents remain without a permanent bridge connection.

Warning that continued delays could lead to irreversible losses, a Pakistani official was quoted by Arab News as saying, “If restoration continues to be delayed, we may lose one of the region’s most important surviving heritage sites.”

–IANS

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