A centuries-old 'Guru Nanak palace' was partially demolished by a group of vandals, who sold its precious windows and doors in Pakistan's Punjab province, a media report said on Monday, 27 May.
The walls of the four-storey building had pictures of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak as well as of various Hindu rulers and princes, Dawn news reported.
The "Palace of Baba Guru Nanak", said to have been built over four centuries ago, was frequented by a number of Sikhs from across the world including India, the report said.
The structure at a village in Narowal city -- about 100 kms from the provincial capital Lahore -- had 16 rooms with each of them having at least three delicate doors and at least four ventilators, it said.
Its construction comprised old bricks, sand, clay and limestone. The rooms were constructed with large broad walls with cupboards in them that had wooden doors with flowers carved on them.
All the rooms were airy and their walls had small lamp enclosures in them. Expensive diyar wood beams of various sizes were used in the roofs, it said.
Authorities are clueless about its 'owner'.
Once a six-member delegation, including a woman carrying a book with information about the historical building, had come from Canada. The delegation was elated upon visiting the site as if they had found a treasure, he said.
"The auqaf department was informed about the demolition of the building by some influential persons, but no officer or official took any action or even reached here.
"Three storeys of the building have already been demolished and new houses constructed. The influentials have demolished the building with the connivance of the auqaf department and sold its costly windows, doors, ventilators and wood," another local Muhammad Ashraf said.
In an bid to determine its legal status, locate its owners or find out which government agency maintained its record, Dawn news reached out to various authorities from the deputy commissioner, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to the family that lived in the building but to no avail.
ETPB Sialkot zone Rent Collector Rana Waheed said: "Our team is investigating the Guru Nanak Mahal Bathanwala. If this palace was the property of Evacuee Trust Property Board, legal action will be taken against those responsible".
The people in the area requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to take action against those responsible.
Some Indian journalists, politicians and other Twitter users blamed the Pakistan government for vandalising the historical structure.
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