SIALKOT              -            The district administration has finally closed the Sialkot Industrial Heritage Museum only after about four months of its establishment.

According to the senior officials of the Sialkot district administration, major reasons behind the closure were lack of managerial mechanism, non-availability of the funds and less interest of the Sialkot based industrialists and exporters who did not donate funds to run its matters.

Then Deputy Commissioner of Sialkot Dr Syed Bilal Haider had established the museum at the second floor of the multi-storey building of Sialkot Business and Commerce Center (SBCC) adjacent to the building of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Parie Road Sialkot about four months ago on September 14,2019.

The mainobjective of establishing industrial heritage museum was to protect and display Sialkot’s industrial heritage there with the portfolios of the pioneers of the Sialkot industries and display of all the export products being produced in Sialkot.

But since its establishment, no proper mechanism was chalked out to run the museum. Sialkot district administration also remained unable to allocate any funds for this musem. After the transfer of the then deputy commissioner  , Sialkot-based industrialists and exporters also remained reluctant to donate funds for this project  .

The project remained in great financial loss, as the district administration remained failed to attract the visitors to this museum as well.

Th edistrict administration had also deputed two temporary employees for looking after the matters of this industrial heritage museum. Now,both of these have also been terminated  from their jobs.

When contacted, the concerned  officials of Sialkot District administration confirmed that this Sialkot Industrial  Heritage Museum has been closed down finally by the district administration.However, they averted to give any comment regarding  the future of this industrial museum.

On the other hand,some exporters Arif Mehmood Sheikh, Mansur Mughal, Avid Hussain, Ch.Abdul Hameed ,Ijaz Hashmi, Ameer Hamza and others have expressed grave concern over the closure of this industrial heritage museum.They have urged the Sialkot district administration to give this museum under the direct control  of the  Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).They said that this musem was the need of the day and it should immediately by restored and continued to promote the Sialkot’s industrial history and unique export culture as well...