A centuries-old fortress in Pakistan's Potohar region, believed to date back to the Hindu Shahi period, is steadily deteriorating under the weight of neglect, encroachment, and environmental damage — despite legal protection under the country's Antiquities Act of 1975, according to a report published by Saudi Arabia-based daily Arab News. Located nearly 40 kilometres from Islamabad, the fort once guarded key routes into the Indian subcontinent and is considered one of the region's most significant surviving heritage sites.

A stronghold lost to time

The ruins rise above a rugged plateau encircled by the Soan River and the hills of the Potohar region. Historians trace the fort's origins to the Hindu Shahi era, with later expansion carried out by the Gakhar tribe between the 10th and 15th centuries. For generations, it served as a strategic checkpoint on routes leading into the subcontinent.

Visible signs of decay

According to the report, overgrown vegetation has swallowed parts of the fortification walls and gates, while livestock wander through the crumbling ruins. The site is also marred by plastic waste, and some residents have established small farms near the outer walls, adding to the structural strain.

“Wild climate effects continue to weaken the structure. It took nearly a year just to clear plant growth from the fortification walls during the survey work in 2023,” Pakistan's Deputy Director of the Department of Archaeology Abdul Ghafoor Lone was quoted as saying.

Ghafoor, who has closely documented the site, estimated that 20 to 30 percent of the structure has already been damaged. While he described the fort as resilient enough to last centuries, he cautioned that persistent delays in conservation work could hasten its decline.

A living settlement inside the ruins

Around 25 families continue to live within the fort's vicinity, including members of the Gakhar community who trace their lineage to the historic tribe associated with the site. For many, the fort is not merely a monument but a marker of family identity.

“This is our identity and recognition,” said Subhan Kiyani, a 27-year-old resident whose family has lived in the area for generations. Standing among the damaged walls, Kiyani described the isolation of life inside the settlement: “There is no school here, no hospital, and no proper roads,” he said, pointing toward the Soan River, which residents cross without a permanent bridge.

Warnings of irreversible loss

A Pakistani official warned that further delays could prove catastrophic for the heritage site. “If restoration continues to be delayed, we may lose one of the region's most important surviving heritage sites,” the official said in the report.

The fort's plight mirrors a broader pattern across South Asia, where pre-Islamic and Hindu-era heritage sites in Pakistan — from temples in Sindh to Buddhist stupas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — have faced documented neglect and encroachment over decades. Conservationists argue that without urgent intervention and community-linked restoration, the Potohar fort could join a growing list of lost landmarks.