PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly with Speaker Asad Qaisar in the chair on Tuesday passed the KP Antiquities Bill 2016 in order to protect and preserve the rich archaeological heritage of the province in an effective manner.
The bill moved by Minister for Law Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi on behalf of the chief minister stated that it was vital to bring forth the new antiquities law that covers all legal and technical aspects after the 18th constitutional amendments.
The objective of the legislation is to meet the present day requirements in the field of cultural assets, archaeology and museums and to remove contradictions and flaws amongst various relevant laws and acts, all inclusive by incorporating relevant clauses from both the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Antiquities Act, 1997 as well as Federal Antiquities Act 1975.
After the 18th Constitutional Amendments, the Archaeology and Museums Department had been devolved to the provinces and it was vital to bring forth the new antiquities law that covers all the legal and technical aspects.
After the enactment of Antiquities Act 2016, the provincial government will constitute an advisory committee consisting of the minister for sports and culture as chairman, head of the Standing Committee on Culture in the provincial assembly as its vice chairman, director of the Archaeology, director general of the Federal Department of Archaeology, three eminent scholars, archaeologists or persons from the civil society having thorough knowledge and expertise in antiquities and cultural objects to nominated by the provincial government for a non-extendable period of three years.
“For scientific conservation and seeking guidance of competent professionals regarding conservation, restoration, protection, promotion of cultural heritage of the province, the provincial government will also establish a Conservation Heritage Board.”
The board will be headed by the Director and other members as the provincial government may determine which will include eminent archaeologists, architects, engineers, conservationists, historians, artists and managers of cultural heritage.
The board will advise the directorate on all major interventions in the built heritage of the province in light of the international best practices and will also oversee the execution of such interventions is undertaken according to the guidance provided by it.
Under the act, the provincial government will also establish a wing within the directorate for control of trade in antiquities. The officers posted in the antiquities trade control wings will be trained in the relevant laws for checking, examining and controlling illicit trade and export of antiquities in co-ordination with the customs’ officers and will be posted at important exit points in the province especially at the airports, dry ports and land routes.
Such officers of the antiquities trade control wings will be responsible to control illegal diggings at archaeological sites and monuments and encroachments on the protected, important and registered antiquities. In the performance of their functions, the officers of the Antiquities Trade Control Wings will be assisted by the police.
Under the bill, the provincial government has also proposed the establishment of Training Cell and Conservation Laboratory. The proposed Training Cell and Conservation Laboratory will work under the supervision of the Directorate for the capacity building of the professionals in the field of archaeology, musicology, conservation, heritage management, cultural tourism and promotion of cultural heritage and to develop capacity of the Directorate to meet the growing challenges in these highly technical and specialized areas.
The Training Cell and Conservation Laboratory will provide facilities to the universities, other organizations and individuals interested in the culture of the province against criteria and fee to be determined in the prescribed manner. These specialized bodies will also provide facilities to other provinces on terms and conditions to be laid down in the rules made under this act.
For the registration of the Archaeologists, the government under the Act will establish an Accreditation Centre of Archaeologists and every person having the master degree in Archaeology, Heritage Management and Conservation Studies will be required to register itself with the centre. The directorate will register the persons having their master degree in Archaeology, Heritage Management and Conservation Studies as Archaeologists after such inquiry and scrutiny and on payment on such fee and in such a manner as many be prescribed.
The house also passed The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Public Services Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2016 presented by Minister for Law Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi and The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2016 presented by Senior Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarkai on behalf of the chief minister.
