UNESCO Evaluates Restoration Practices at Rohtas Fort

A technical team from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation arrived at the gates of Rohtas Fort on a Tuesday in July 2026. The visit followed reports that the restoration work currently underway at the historic site may have bypassed established international conservation standards. According to reporting by Dawn Pakistan, the assessment was prompted by information provided by an external source regarding the project overseen by the Punjab Directorate General of Archaeology and Museums.

Discrepancies in Official Communications

Inside the halls of the Ministry of National Heritage and Cultural Division, officials framed the visit as a formal response to alleged compliance failures. Ministry sources asserted that the work carried out on the site did not align with the rigid parameters set by the World Heritage Centre. These officials further alleged that this was the second time the UN agency had raised formal concerns regarding the conservation strategies employed by the Punjab government.

UNESCO countered this narrative. Representatives from the UN body clarified that their presence at the site was part of a routine technical advisory role rather than an investigation into violations. They stated that no formal objections had been communicated to state authorities. The agency characterized its ongoing dialogue with the provincial government as constructive technical cooperation, distancing its advisory work from the inflammatory language suggested by ministry sources.

The Shadow of Taxila

Friction regarding conservation methods intensified following events in the previous month. Reports surfaced suggesting UNESCO had issued a warning to the Pakistani government over massive reconstruction projects at the archaeological sites of Mohra Moradu and Sirkap in Taxila. Observations made during that visit allegedly revealed the covering of ancient stone walls with fresh, modern masonry and the artificial elevation of structures, actions that critics argued fundamentally compromised the original fabric of the monuments.

Ministry officials had claimed that the UN agency warned Taxila faced placement on the List of World Heritage in Danger or could lose its heritage status entirely if the changes were not reversed. UNESCO firmly rejected this characterization. The agency emphasized that it had communicated no such threats. Its engagement, the body explained, focused solely on offering technical guidance and encouraging management measures that preserve the integrity of historical sites.

Defining Authentic Preservation

For experts, the distinction between repair and alteration remains the crux of the debate. A ministry official explained that while building a retaining wall is sometimes necessary to prevent the collapse of ancient stone, altering the design of a globally significant property carries heavy risks to its authenticity. The official argued that the use of cement to erect new walls in sites like Mohra Moradu and Sirkap constitutes a grave violation of the rules governing archaeological monuments.

Despite the gravity of these claims, the office of the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture Division Secretary Asad Rehman Gilani provided no response to requests for comment on the conservation efforts. The lack of a unified front between federal and provincial authorities has complicated the narrative. While heritage ministry sources asserted that a request from the Punjab Directorate General of Archaeology and Museums to list sites such as Rani Ghat and Bhambhor had already received approval, UNESCO stated that no nomination for Rani Ghat is currently under active review.

The Status of Tentative Inventories

Pakistan currently maintains 29 properties on its UNESCO Tentative List, an inventory of sites earmarked for potential future nomination to the World Heritage List. Although ministry sources pointed to this figure as evidence of a broader push to expand the nation's heritage portfolio, UNESCO denied assertions that these sites are currently at risk due to the issues surrounding specific properties. The UN body reaffirmed its commitment to the 1972 World Heritage Convention, which dictates the standards for global site protection.

The agency continues to provide guidance to both federal and provincial stakeholders to ensure that work at Rohtas Fort adheres to international principles. Moving forward, the pressure to balance structural preservation with the requirement for historic authenticity will dictate the pace of conservation. The resolution of these technical debates remains tied to the capacity of local departments to document changes, provide evidence for their restoration choices, and align their physical interventions with the guidance provided by international observers. Until then, the fort stands as a site of both immense history and high-stakes administrative tension.