Japan to help renovate Hada Museum in Nangarhar

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): The Japanese Centre for South Asian Cultural Heritage would fund the renovation of the Hada Museum in eastern Nangarhar province, officials said.

At a joint press conference with the organisation’s director, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Zardasht Shams said more than 14 artifacts would be returned to the museum.

They would ask for the return of the objects looted from the museum at the Tokyo Conference, Shams said.

There is a big stupa and a warship centre of the Buddha era in the Hada Farm area on the southern outskirts of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province.

Many historical objects were stolen during the civil war in Afghanistan, but the Ministry of Information and Culture has decided to renovate the museum.

“A meeting will be held by the organisation in Tokyo in April when global assistance will be sought for the renovation of the museum,” Shams said, adding hundreds of artifacts would be displayed.

“We will send a delegation to Nangarhar soon to identify the area of the museum and retake its land from grabbers,” he promised.

The director of the heritage organisation, Takashi, called the Hada Museum a centre and temple for Bhuddists, but many such sites were pillaged during the civil war in the country and many of its objects were stolen.

“We will start rehabilitation work on the museum soon and encourage international donors to assist us,” Takashi said.

The governor’s spokesman, Attaullah Khogyani, welcomed the decision of the deputy minister, saying the provincial government would provide assistance for the renovation work.

myn/mud