KARACHI: The Sindh archaeology department has filed a police case against two persons for illegally demolishing a heritage building at Campbell Street.

The issue of unauthorised demolition and construction work on Tahirbhoy Muhammadali Building was highlighted by Marvi Mazhar, an architect and researcher who also specialises in restoring historical buildings, on social media.

Sources said that the Meethadar police had registered a case against Saifuddin and Zakiuddin and their unknown associates under Section 18 of the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act on the complaint of an employee of the culture, tourism and antiquities department.

They said that the heritage building was owned by a woman whose employees had illegally started the demolition work on the protected site.

The sources said that building was sealed by the archaeology department on March 24 on account of unauthorised demolition and illegal construction work.

They said that sealing order, which was pasted on the wall of Tahirbhoy Muhammad Ali Building, also warned that if anyone trespassed the subject premises or broke the seal, he or she would be prosecuted and punished under Section 18 of the Sindh Heritage (Prevention) Act.

The sources said that on March 21 the department had also issued a show-cause notice to the owner/occupants/tenants of the protected building ordering immediate halt to unauthorised demolition of the subject property that was enlisted as protected heritage within the meaning of Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994.

They said that the owner and occupants of the building were asked to appear before the department on March 24, but none of them appeared and the unauthorised demolition and construction work continued.

Commenting on the government action, Ms Mazhar tweeted: “I hope monitoring continues by the department & building is restored and not left to decay and falls apart because of lack of first aid.”

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2022