When schoolteacher Osman Ulasyar took steps to protect an ancient Buddhist site in Pakistan's northwestern Swat Valley in 2008, he was lucky to escape the brutal retribution of the Tehrik-e Taliban (Pakistani Taliban). The extremist group, in control of much of the region at the time, considered the site to be filled with "symbols of infidels." The militants have since been routed from the area, but Ulasyar's struggle to safeguard local history from thieves and developers continues.
Credits
Executive Producer, Script Writer - Daud Khattak
Producer - Ali Mahmood
Producer, Script Writer, Editor, Narrator - Andrew Wills
Script Editors - Ray Furlong, Jean Garner
Camera - Zaland Yousfzai, Niaz Ahmad Khan, MASH Productions, Jaroslav Ptacnik
Digital Animation - Juan Carlos Herrera Martinez, Denis Artamonov, Jakub Sirotek
Colorist - Pavel Marko, UPP
Music - Hudebni Banka
Consultant Archaeologist - Dr. Luca Maria Olivieri
Special Thanks - Dr. Abdul Samad, Amos Chappel, Pamir Sahill, Khalid Khan Kheshgi.
©2017 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty