Historic Cannon Stolen From Kot Diji Fort in Brazen Theft

Bandits Target Sindh’s Ancient Heritage With Power Tools

In a shocking act of cultural vandalism, thieves have stolen a portion of an ancient brass cannon from the historic Kot Diji Fort in Sindh. The criminals used cutting equipment to remove a section of the precious artillery piece from the archaeological site, leaving heritage authorities and local residents outraged. This incident marks the latest in a series of thefts targeting Sindh’s protected monuments, highlighting growing security concerns at historical sites across the province.

Culture Department Scrambles to Recover Stolen Artifact

Local communities have urgently appealed to Sindh’s Minister of Culture and Archeology to apprehend the thieves and recover the stolen cannon fragment. The theft comes just one year after the Sindh Culture Department located six missing cannons from Kot Diji that had disappeared over three decades ago. Previous recoveries included artillery pieces found at Khairpur Police Line, Deputy Commissioner House, Maryam Chowk, and Babbarloi police station – suggesting a pattern of institutional appropriation of heritage items.

Kot Diji’s Vulnerable Legacy Under Threat

The 18th-century Kot Diji Fort, located 45 kilometers south of Khairpur on the Indus River’s east bank, represents one of Sindh’s most important pre-Harappan archaeological sites. The brass cannons stolen and previously misplaced are invaluable artifacts from the Talpur dynasty era. Heritage experts warn that without enhanced security measures and proper documentation of artifacts, Sindh‘s material history remains vulnerable to both organized theft and bureaucratic neglect. The repeated incidents have raised questions about the effectiveness of current protection protocols for Pakistan’s cultural treasures.