The Pakhtun Cultural Museum has only empty shelves

The Pakhtun cultural museum built at a cost of Rs23 million adjacent to Pashto Academy at University of Peshawar has only broken and empty shelves since its inauguration in 2012.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad had initiated the project in 2006 to preserve and safeguard Pakhtun culture but a row between the then director of Pashto Academy and UoP vice-chancellor delayed its execution. The museum was completed and formally launched in December 2012.

Despite lapse of five years, the museum couldn’t get funds and administrative staff to make it fully functional as its cabinets, shelves and galleries -- some of them being broken -- display no artifacts and cultural items.

An official at Pashto Academy told this scribe that despite repeated requests to HEC Islamabad, the provincial HEC, culture directorate and high-ups of University of Peshawar for financial support and provision of necessary staff, they got no response.

He said that former director of Pashto Academy Prof Salma Shaheen and her friends had donated some utensils, old ornaments and dresses to the museum. She had also requested people to donate old artifacts, manuscripts, utensils, footwear, dresses and jewellery to the museum in addition to old manuscripts, works and photographs of prominent Pakhtun scholars, intellectuals and reformers.

“Unfortunately, her request fell on deaf ears. Owing to sheer negligence of the ad hoc staff and lack of maintenance funds, some of the shelves, cabinets and galleries are in shambles. Also a woman, who is an expert on economics, has been appointed as head of the museum by UoP,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

He said that the Pakhtun cultural museum needed a curator, a conservator, an office assistant, two watchmen and a peon besides sufficient funds on urgent basis. He feared that if concrete steps were not taken, the museum would be reduced to a deserted building.

Taj Rahim, a research student and resident of Chitral at UoP, said that Pakhtun cultural museum should be renamed as ‘Pakhtunkhwa cultural museum’ as it would widen its scope and people from the entire province would get be prompted to contribute to it.

He said that it would become easier for the experts to divide the province in various cultural zones and accordingly allocate space for each one in the museum.

“A rigorous campaign should be launched to collect various objects and materials from old agricultural to musical instruments that should represent our rich and diverse cultural image to the world. The best model before us is ‘Sindhology museum’ at University of Sindh Jamshoro. It does not house objects related to Sindhis only but of all ethnicities across the Sindh,” he added.

Prof Nasrullah Jan Wazir, director of Pashto Academy, said that shelves and cabinets of the museum were neither broken nor empty but still in need of proper maintenance.

He said that Pashto Academy looked after the museum, which was in dire need of funds and proper administrative and ministerial staff to run its affairs.

He said that UoP Vice-chancellor Prof Mohammad Asif Khan paid a detailed visit on his request to Pashto Academy and the museum on September 27 and took keen interest in it. He said that the vice-chancellor had promised them all-out support and suggested that Pashto Academy should prepare a proposal regarding urgent requirements of both Pashto Academy and the museum.

Mr Wazir said that the museum housed some precious cultural items including old ornaments, dresses, utensils and ancient manuscripts.

“Staff and maintenance funds are among the basic requirements. Also, we are trying to approach national and international donors, cultural organisations and well-off Pakhtuns to help us in building a museum truly showcasing Pakhtun culture,” he said.

Originally published in Dawn, October 5th, 2017