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
Four Years On, UN Says Taliban Close To 'Erasing' Afghan Women From Public Life
2After Key Report On Afghanistan, State Department Says Taliban Was Keeping Aid
3Kabul's Quiet Resistance: Young Afghans Navigate Life Under The Taliban
4World Food Program Warns Of 'Unprecedented' Hunger Crisis In Afghanistan
5China Dangles Belt And Road Investment To Mend Taliban-Pakistan Ties
6Bad Move: Taliban's Chess Ban Adds To Crackdown On Sports And Pastimes
7Russia Boosts The Taliban's Quest For Legitimacy. Who Will Be Next?
8Taliban Restrictions Blamed For Surge In Suicides Among Afghans
9Death Toll Rises As Heavy Rains Devastate Northwestern Pakistan
10Pakistan Hit By More Fatal Flooding As Recovery Crews Look For Dead
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.