Heritage experts reported that the remains of a 16th-century Mughal-era building in Rehara village have been completely demolished to facilitate a private housing development. The destruction occurred just days after a neighboring British-era World War I memorial was leveled at the same archaeological site. The Department of Archaeology and Museums (DOAM) identified the building as a significant structure from the reign of Emperor Akbar, describing it as the oldest historical ruin in the region.
Mughal-Era Ruins in Islamabad Demolished for Private Housing Project
The remains of a 16th-century Mughal-era building in Rehara village, near Islamabad, have been demolished to make way for a private housing project.
The structure, believed to date back to Emperor Akbar’s… pic.twitter.com/RdB5hURKRK
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The demolished structure featured a limestone and sandstone facade with 1.5-meter-thick walls, which DOAM officials say were “entirely wiped out” by heavy machinery. According to the Ministry of National Heritage, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), a partner in the housing project, ignored numerous letters over the past six years regarding the protection of these sites. While a formal report on the destruction has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, DOAM has drawn criticism for a sudden “U-turn” regarding its legal authority to protect the site, previously claiming the WWI monument did not require a permit for demolition.
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The CDA maintains that the WWI memorial is being “relocated for preservation” rather than destroyed, though photographs from the site show scattered blocks in leveled earth. Local residents and retired military officers have expressed outrage, noting that the destruction of these monuments erases vital records of the region’s contribution to global history and its Mughal architectural legacy.
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