BAHAWALPUR: The heritage and culture lovers, including intellectuals, scholars and former members of Bahawalpur Museum’s defunct board of governors have reiterated their demand for relocation of the Indus Queen to the Bahawalpur Museum for its preservation and exhibition for the public.

Over a century-old Indus Queen’s skeleton is presently rusting near Kot Mithan along the deserted place of the Indus River.

Dawn learnt that during the past few years, some measures were taken by former South Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Saqib Zafar and former Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar to shift its skeleton to the museum but the task could not be completed during their tenures. As a result, the Indus Queen is still rotting near Kot Mithan.

Raja Anwar, in his capacity as the chief of the then BoG of Bahawalpur Museum, had sent the board’s former members’ delegation to the ship to examine the possibility of shifting its wreckage to Bahawalpur. But after the transfers of Mr Anwar and Mr Zafar from Bahawalpur, the earlier proposal was not implemented, raising the heritage lovers’ concerns.

Dawn learnt from historic facts that the steamer, Indus Queen, was built in 1867 by Thomas Reid & Sons in the port city of Paisley, Scotland. It was commissioned by Nawab of Bahawalpur Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi-IV and was used for transportation of the royal family when the river Sutlej was in full swing and flowed near the city. Initially, it was named as the Sutlej Queen with reference to the River Sutlej.

The three-story ship had separate male and female sections and could accommodate 400 guests at a time . However, after the Partition of India in 1947 and signing of the Indus Waters Treaty between Pakistan and India during the dictatorial regime of Gen Ayub Khan, the River Sutlej started drying up as its water was given to India. Nawab Sadiq Abbasi-V shifted the steamer to the river Indus and was renamed as the Indus Queen.

The late Nawab gifted the ship to the devotees of poet Khawaja Ghulam Farid of Koth Mithan Sharif for their transportation from Kot Mithan to Chachran Sharif in Rahim Yar Khan district. Once, the ship caught fire that badly damaged it, making it unserviceable. After the construction of Ghazi Ghat Bridge, the Indus Queen was docked. Presently, it is in a ruined condition at Kot Mithan in the Rajanpur district.

It is amusing for thousands of visitors of historical Noor Mahal that the Pak Army, custodian of the Noor Mahal, had sometime back installed the replica of Indus Queen on the lawns of the palace. The replica has also three storeys with a restaurant at it second floor , which is opened for the general public. The palace’s caretakers also hold light and sound shows at Noor Mahal for the entertainment of visitors.

The heritage lovers think that the Indus Queen lying is the heritage of the State of Bahawalpur and that it should be shifted back and preserved at the Bahawalpur Museum for future generations. In a meeting here the other day, they drew the attention of Punjab Archives, archaeology department and Commissione, Musarrat Jabeen to the Indus Queen and appealed for its shifting to Bahawalpur for preservation for future generations.

Some years back, the antique steam engine was shifted from Panjnad Headworks for exhibition on the premises of Bahawalpur Museum where it attracts a large number of visitors. This steam engine was used to transport stones, iron bars and girders and other construction material to build the Panjnad Headworks.

The Bahawalpur Museum has already preserved treasures of hundreds of artefacts of Chiolistan desert in addition to the late Nawab’ s vintage vehicles and buggies.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2026