LAHORE: The Laxmi Mansion flats, the residence of celebrated short story writer Saadat Hassan Manto, have been bought by a commercial concern to set up a cellular phone outlet there.

The development did not happen abruptly.

“Whenever the reporters visited the place at Manto’s birthday or death anniversary, we told them that the house would be sold out but no interest was shown by the government to preserve the place,” Nighat Bashir Patel, the eldest daughter of Manto, told Dawn.

Why the family considered it necessary to sell the place of great historical significance?

Ms Patel said the area was too congested and it was difficult for their guests, family and friends to reach the place.

“The government is not interested in preserving heritage; it’s fond of accomplishing projects like Metro Bus Service,” she added. She said she had a word with Saleema Hashmi when she was caretaker minister for culture last year, regarding the preservation of the house.

Ms Hashmi showed her interest in the project but could not do anything during her short tenure, Ms Patel said.

The new master of the Manto’s residence will be Khidmat Group. The process of buying the place is in the works. The group plans to set up a cellular phone outlet there.

Mustansar Husain Tarar knows the Laxmi Mansion as the back of his hand. He has been a neighbor of Manto and has golden memories associated with this Mansion.

He said Laxmi Mansion had the honour of housing known personalities such as the grandson of Maulana Muhammad Husain Azad, historian Ayesha Jalal, painter Shahid Jalal, Senator Paracha, actress Khurshid Shahid, Salman Shahid and Maulana Seemab Akbar Abadi and of course Manto. Tarar said that in his novel Raakh he had devoted 150 pages to Laxmi Mansion.

Dr Ajaz Anwar of the Lahore Conservation Society (LCS) said the LCS condemned the sale of Manto’s residence.

“The government should set up a fund under which properties of historical significance should be purchased,” he added.

He said if the fund was not established shortly, commercialism would devour such buildings.

He said Lauxmi Mansion was a place of extreme importance. It was owned by the owner of Laxmi Insurance Company, Pandit K Santanam, whose centenary was celebrated last year in Delhi.