In an astonishing revelation, more than 150 rare photographs, documenting the leaders and martyrs of Pakistan’s independence movement, are said to have been stolen from the Allama Iqbal Library in Karachi.
According to a report in Dawn, the images, which were displayed in the library’s gallery and auditorium, vanished without a trace.
“The collection was acquired in 2006 through my personal efforts and with the cooperation of the Pakistan Ideology Institute,” Former nazim Rana Iftikhar Rasool was quoted as saying in Dawn.
The display, he said, was organized in collaboration with the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) to educate younger generations about the sacrifices made during the Pakistan Movement.
Calling the theft a grave violation of national heritage, Mr. Rasool urged the authorities to take immediate notice and launch a transparent investigation.
Public, social, and political circles have voiced strong concern over what they describe as negligence in safeguarding the collection, as well as possible corruption. They warned that without swift action, an irreplaceable part of Pakistan’s historical identity could be lost forever.
