Criminal charges are being pursued after a 1,700-year-old statue of Buddha was deliberately destroyed by construction workers in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
Video of workers smashing the life-sized statue with a sledgehammer in the town of Takhbhai went viral on July 17.
The destruction of the statue, which had been discovered on the grounds of a home construction site, led to widespread condemnation and prompted the regional archeology department to file a criminal report against the perpetrators.
Abdul Samad, general director of the archeology department, told RFE/RL on July 18 that the statue was destroyed by a local contractor and that five people had been arrested for breaking antiquity laws.
Samad added that the statue was completely destroyed.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province was the the site of the ancient kingdom of Gandhara, and Takhbhai, located in the Pashtun tribal region's Mardan district, is considered a major regional site of Buddhist civilization.
Afrasiab Khattak, a former parliamentarian, wrote on Twitter on July 18 that the incident was part of a "systematic effort to separate Pashtun identity from Buddha."
Charges Sought After Rare Buddha Statue Destroyed In Pakistan
Editors' Picks
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
Romanian Village Evacuated After Russian Drone Strikes LPG Ship In Danube
2Ukraine Strikes Petrochemical Plant Deep Inside Russia Amid Escalating Long-Range Attacks
3Zelenskyy Vows Energy Sector Overhaul, Signs Gas Deal With Greece
4Ukrainian Battalion Officer Held After Russian Strike Killed 19 During Ceremony
5Russia Hits Ukraine With Overnight Attack As Fighting Intensifies in Pokrovsk
6Trump And Central Asia Reach Critical Minerals Deal At Washington Summit
7Ukraine's Energy Sector Under Investigation By Anti-Corruption Watchdog
8Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Hungarian Service Ceases Operations
9Ukraine Says It Hits Russian Black Sea Oil Facility, Gets Extra Patriot Systems
10'Weekend Snipers' Claims Reopen Wartime Trauma In Sarajevo
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.