KARACHI: Dr Adibul Hasan Rizvi has stressed the need for protecting heritage sites, saying those who have forgotten their past are themselves forgotten soon.

He was addressing a press conference about saving Sindh’s heritage organised by the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT) in collaboration with the Karachi Press Club on Thursday.

“There are so many buildings here which need saving. Failing to do so will result in the construction of giant plazas in their place,” Dr Rizvi said while joking that he himself felt like an ancient landmark.

The press conference was called to create public awareness and discourage demolition, desecration and making additions to heritage properties and sale of moveable heritage.

Activists lament demolition, desecration of heritage buildings

The Sindh High Court’s Larkana circuit recently issued an interim order restraining demolition of the protected heritage properties in Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Larkana and Dadu districts on three constitutional petitions filed by the EFT.

Explaining in depth about the issue of heritage buildings, Hamid Akhund of the EFT said that according to the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act passed by the provincial assembly in 1994, about 600 buildings had been declared as heritage monuments.

“There was an understanding that no one could touch them without the Sindh government’s approval and support for restoration work. Later, 400 more buildings were added to the list, but that was for over 20 years of the passing of the law,” he said, adding that the EFT had filed the petitions after getting no response to its modified draft sent to the government some three times.

Giving examples of how protected heritage buildings are being desecrated, Mr Akhund showed a picture of a house in Shikarpur half of which was demolished and its beautiful antique wooden balcony sold off. “EFT had to buy back the balcony and we are now restoring the building to its original condition,” he said, bringing up another sad example of the recently-demolished house on the grounds of Jufelhurst School in Karachi.

Advocate Shahab Usto regretted that it had become the norm of the society to act after a big tragedy. “That tragedy was the Jufelhurst School,” he said.

“I was already depressed about the 1,200 heritage properties in Shikarpur and then Jufelhurst happened. Our heritage can be saved if the government takes an active interest in this matter because the law regarding heritage properties has many loopholes in it. It needs to be revisited,” he said, adding that about 426 protected heritage properties were in a terrible state.

He said antiquities also came under the heritage law, but these were also being stolen or in a bad shape.

Former vice chancellor of Sindh University Prof Mazhar-ul-Haq Siddiqui suggested that universities should be brought into all this. “Universities and the knowledge they produce, along with the enthusiasm of fresh minds, can be a great asset as far as protecting heritage is concerned. I am sure young people interested in history and architecture will be able to do service to this cause,” he said.

Managing trustee EFT Hameed Haroon spoke about the KPC building and the restoration work under way there. He offered to help the club in its tree plantation plan and protecting their valuable artwork during the restoration work.

KPC president Siraj Ahmed said that saving and conserving one’s heritage was a matter of protecting one’s identity.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2017