The cell has records of around 5,000 govt files, gazetteers and history books onward from the British period, says officials
PESHAWAR
Caretaker Minister for Newly Merged Districts Affairs, Industries, Commerce and Technical Education, Dr Aamer Abdullah has said that Tribal Research Cell is an important heritage for the availability of authentic records related to the historical background of the merged districts and former tribal areas of the province while directed the relevant authorities to preserve the available historical record and other written materials in the cell.
He said that the authorities should submit a reasonable development scheme for approval so that to not only ensure the long-term preservation of records available in the research cell but make the availability of theses historical materials and literature possible for researcher through online facilitation.
He issued these directives while visiting the historical Tribal Research Cell, established under the Home and Tribal Affairs Department in Namak Mandi at Peshawar,on Wednesday.
During the visit, the caretaker minister inspected various parts of the research cell and checked the historical records and official files of the pre-independence and post-independence periods related to the affairs of tribal areas, former states merged in the province and neighboring country Afghanistan.
Speaking on this occasion, he described the cell as a very important asset for the convenience of researchers from a historical and research point of view, and directed to get support from the Archives Directorate to preserve all the old records here, while digitizing all the records of the cell.
He also directed to prepare a PC.1 and submit it within a week time regarding technological facilitation of digitizing the old record available in the cell.
The caretaker minister asked the authorities to also contact the UN organization UNESCO, in terms of getting assistance for the preservation of such a historical record.
He emphasized on the cataloging of historical files and written collections in the cell and asked that the cell should contact the relevant departments in Peshawar University to get the support of researchers in utilization of such historical records.
The minister also stressed to begin digitizing the records in the cell by scanning the old records in a phased manner.
He described the poor condition of the cell’s existing building as unsatisfactory and directed that the possibility of shifting the records to the existing government buildings should be evaluated and a report in this regard be submitted to him to save the records from losing.
It merits mentioning that the Tribal Research Center was established in 1971 under Home and Tribal Affairs Department, with the aim of preserving the old history and official records of the former tribal areas, the states merged in the province and the former tribal areas under the administration of the province.
Alongside having a vast archive of the history of the tribes of these areas, the cell has records of around 5,000 government files, gazetteers and history books onward from the British period, which is a vast collection of literature for researchers in these fields.
