UNESCO warns Pakistan over Taxila site work, threatens danger list

Islamabad,UPDATED: Jul 2, 2026 19:16 IST

The UN has asked Pakistan to reverse the "reconstructions" that "undermined the integrity" of two historical sites in Taxila, a UNESCO World Heritage site, or risk having them placed on the agency's "danger list", according to a Dawn report.

UNESCO, the UN's cultural agency, told senior government officials at a recent meeting that it would not hesitate to "delist" the historical sites at Mohra Moradu and Sirkap, just as it had "delisted" a World Heritage Site in Germany, because of recent "unnecessary interventions", the report said, quoting sources. The agency also warned that Taxila could be removed from the World Heritage List if the actions were not reversed.

Taxila, in Pakistan's Rawalpindi district in Punjab, is a vast serial site that includes a Mesolithic cave, the archaeological remains of four early settlement sites, Buddhist monasteries, and a mosque and madrassa. According to the UNESCO website, the ruins of the four settlement sites show the pattern of urban evolution on the Indian subcontinent over more than five centuries.

In March, a visitor shared information and photographs with Pakistan's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO in Paris, highlighting reconstruction work by the Punjab archaeology department. The visitor said the interventions could "affect the authenticity and integrity of the property, specifically original walls being replaced with new construction or their height being raised", the report said. UNESCO later cautioned that the "unnecessary interventions" had compromised the authenticity and integrity of the sites and could put them at risk of being placed on the "danger list".

The report said photographs showed fresh masonry replacing some ancient walls, while other work increased the height of the walls. It added that it was easy to distinguish old stones, which are irregular in size, from modern building material, which appeared polished and uniform. Last month, UNESCO, the Department of Archaeology and Museums, and the Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Division carried out a joint technical visit to the Taxila Museum. An official said UNESCO had sought specific documentation on the conservation and restoration works at Mohra Moradu and Sirkap.

Punjab archaeology department Director General Malik Zaheer Abbas said describing the work at Sirkap and Mohra Moradu as "reconstruction" was not accurate. "The interventions being undertaken are conservation measures based on internationally accepted conservation principles, with the primary objective of stabilising vulnerable archaeological remains, preventing further deterioration, and preserving the authenticity and integrity of these World Heritage properties," he said. He added, "At present, there is no question of 'reversing reconstruction' because the works are conservation interventions, not reconstruction."

The issue centres on work carried out at Mohra Moradu and Sirkap, with UNESCO warning Pakistan to reverse the interventions or face possible action against Taxila's World Heritage status, while Punjab archaeology officials maintain that the work is conservation and not reconstruction.

With PTI Inputs

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