The Journey of a WWI Memorial in Islamabad

For years, the World War I memorial near Rehara village stood quietly above the surrounding land, a small but enduring reminder of local soldiers who once left these villages for a distant war. This week, its dismantling placed the monument at the centre of a wider public debate, with questions emerging about whether it was removed in the name of development or preserved through relocation.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) says the structure was not demolished but carefully taken apart under conservation protocols so it can be rebuilt at a safer and more visible site. According to the civic agency, the memorial had deteriorated over time, prompting a decision to relocate it while preserving original materials for accurate reconstruction. Officials argue that such relocations are not unusual, pointing to global examples where historic structures were moved to protect them from environmental or urban pressures.

On the ground, however, the scene appeared different to some heritage officials. Representatives from the Department of Archaeology and Museums (Doam) who visited the area said the mound where the memorial once stood had been flattened, with blocks of the structure lying on newly levelled soil. Doam had earlier opposed moving the monument to a nearby roundabout, maintaining that its original placement carried meaning for villages like Rehara, whose residents were among those commemorated.

The disagreement reflects a familiar tension in cities that are growing faster than their historical frameworks can keep up. Islamabad was designed as a modern capital, yet many of its older sites were never fully documented or formally protected. Doam officials have said they had been seeking records from CDA for several years to include the memorial in the capital’s heritage inventory, while a senior official from the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture noted that the matter has now been referred to the federal minister for review.

From the CDA’s perspective, relocation offers a way to protect the monument while ensuring it remains accessible to the public. The authority maintains that the tribute itself remains intact and will be re-erected at a Northern Bypass roundabout near Rehara village, where it can be maintained under civic oversight and seen by a wider audience. The agency has also emphasised that the memorial was not part of the archaeology department’s notified heritage list, even though consultations took place during the process.

At its heart, the debate is less about a single structure and more about how a city remembers its past while preparing for its future. For local families, the memorial represents a connection to ancestors whose stories rarely make it into textbooks. For planners, it is a fragile structure that needed protection before time and neglect caused irreversible damage.

As Islamabad continues to expand, moments like this reveal how easily perception can outrun process. Preservation, after all, is not only about keeping stones in place, it is about ensuring that history remains visible, cared for, and understood. Whether the relocated memorial ultimately brings renewed attention to a largely forgotten chapter of local history may depend less on where it stands next, and more on how openly its story is told along the way.