KARACHI, Aug 1: Pakistan Rangers continued the ‘illegal construction’ at their temporary headquarters at the Jinnah Courts, a building protected under the Sindh Cultural Heritage Protection Act, despite being directed by the Karachi Building Control Authority to stop the work immediately, it is learnt.

According to the sources, nobody can carry out any construction, repairs, renovation, etc., in a protected site under the Act without a prior permission and NOC from the Advisory Committee on Cultural Heritage, which is headed by the chief secretary of Sindh. The Act also prescribes long prison terms and heavy fine for the violators.

The sources said that besides the permission from the committee, the owner/occupant of a building, ordinary or protected, was bound to get the building plans approved by the KBCA before going ahead with the construction in accordance with the approved plan. The Rangers have been constructing a building within the protected site without obtaining the required permission either from the Advisory Committee or the KBCA, they pointed out.

They stated that the Sindh Culture Department had also written a letter to the Rangers authorities seeking their comments on the issue. The Rangers, however, preferred not to stop the construction, they added.

They recalled that the KBCA had conveyed to the Rangers authorities that they should stop the ‘illegal construction’ since they had not even submitted their building plan. If the plan appeared unacceptable, they were told, the constructed structure would be liable to be demolished immediately. This communication also failed to deter the Rangers from going ahead with the construction work, the sources said.

According to the sources, during the days the KBCA issued the notice and Culture Department wrote the letter, the construction work was in its initial stage as only first pillars had been raised. The work has been carried out so expeditiously that over a few weeks construction of the ground floor, including its ceiling, has been completed whereas the pillars and walls of the first floor have also been raised.

The Assistant Building Controller, Nisar Ahmed, told Dawn that under the directives of the Building Controller, Mehmood Ali, he had visited the Jinnah Courts and reported the matter to Mr Ali. He said that further action could be taken if and when the controller would issue an order.

However, Mr Mehmood Ali maintained that he had repeatedly asked Mr Nisar Ahmed over the last few days to conduct a survey of the site and submit a report. He said that Mr Ahmed was also directed to take necessary legal action if the illegal construction had been carried out there. Mr Ali claimed that the ACB was yet to report the matter to him.

Nearly a month ago, a spokesman for the Rangers, responding to Dawn’s queries had maintained that the construction work pertained to a dispensary for the Rangers personnel stationed at the Jinnah Courts. He had pointed out that the other dispensary for them was more than a couple of kilometres away from the HQs.

He had claimed that the Rangers authorities had already informed the interior minister and the officials of his ministry about the construction plan and that the work on the plan had been started with their permission. He, however, had expressed his unawareness about the Rangers having obtained any permission/NOC from the competent authorities — the Advisory Committee or the KBCA — but had promised to seek and provide the information to Dawn “in a couple of days.”

After four weeks now, the spokesman could not fulfil his commitment.