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
Taliban's Internet Ban Threatens Afghan Women's Livelihoods And Education
2Once Allies, Pakistan And Afghan Taliban Lurch Toward Full-Blown Conflict
3Fierce Fighting, High Number Of Casualties Reported Along Pakistan-Afghanistan Border
4Communications Restored In Afghanistan After 2-Day Blackout
5Afghanistan In Massive Internet Shutdown Amid Taliban 'Morality' Crackdown
6After Internet Restored, Afghans Recount ‘Being Suffocated’ During Blackout
7Afghanistan And Pakistan Agree Cease-Fire After Deadly Air Strikes And Ground Fighting
8Kabul Gripped By Fear Of More Attacks After Suspected Pakistani Air Strikes
9Afghan's Taliban Rulers Release US Citizen From Custody After Trump Envoy's Visit
10Afghanistan, Pakistan To Hold Peace Talks In Doha Amid Fragile Cease-Fire
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.