MULTAN, (Pakistan Point News - 10th August, 2016) : The work on conservation/restoration of five monuments in Multan, Uch Sharif, Vehari and Khanewal is expected to complete within the ongoing fiscal year 2016-17. Punjab archaeology department officials said that the department would recover Rs 1.9 million from contractors of three schemes as risk and cost after they had left the schemes incomplete and they had to reassign the schemes to new contractors.
The work on around 500 years old Sawi Masjid is in progress in Multan city under a Rs 3.114 million scheme and a sum of Rs 1.722 million was allocated in the ongoing fiscal year 2016-17. Officials said the department would recover Rs 500,000 from the previous contractor who had left the scheme incomplete. A sum of Rs 1.4 million had been utilized and it would be completed within the fiscal year 2016-17, they added. The work on conservation of centuries old Islamic period mausoleum of Hazrat Mai Meherban in Multan is expected to complete in December 2016 as the remaining work including floor, graves, replacement of metallic door by wooden door, and installation of pinnacle on its dome would be completed by that time.
Over Rs 2.8 million have already been utilized under this scheme. It was a Rs 4.455 million scheme, however the department would recover Rs 600,000 from the previous contractor that would reduce its overall cost to around Rs 3.8 million. The 400 years old mausoleum of Hazrat Sakhi Dalail was also undergoing conservation process in Mailsi (Vehari) under a Rs 5.28 million scheme and it is expected to complete in Sep-Oct 2016. Conservation of around 850 years old tomb and mosque of Hazrat Khalid Waleed was in progress at Khanewal district under a Rs 17.
455 million scheme and a sum of Rs 10.560 million has already been allocated for its execution in the ongoing fiscal year 2016-17. A sum of Rs 8.262 million has already been utilized on this scheme. Its previous contractor had left it incomplete and the department would recover Rs 800,000 from him, officials said that it would be deducted from contractors security money. Half of its vault roof has been completed. Work on its floor, application of kankar and glazed lime plaster, lime terracing and remaining half of the vault roof would be completed this year.
Around 400 years old mausoleum of Hazrat Musa Pak Shaheed was also undergoing conservation at Uch Sharif (distt Bahawalpur) under a Rs 10.65 million scheme. A sum of Rs 1.746 million was utilized last year against an allocation of Rs 2.5 million while another Rs 8 million have been allocated for utilization this year. Officials said that all out efforts would be made to complete the scheme within the fiscal year 2016-17. It may be noted that another mausoleum of Hazrat Musa Pak Shaheed also existed in Multan.
Officials said that Hazrat Musa Pak Shaheed had embraced martyrdom in late sixteenth century (1592 AD) or early seventeenth century (1601 AD) and was temporarily buried at Mankay Hatta area in Shujabad tahsil of Multan. Later, he was buried at Uch Sharif and then after some time the saint was reburied at Multan where his mausoleum still stands at Sarafa Bazaar.
