HYDERABAD: Deputy Commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro on Friday intervened to foil an attempt to resume construction work on a plot, part of which was apparently carved out by unlawfully demolishing a portion of the historic Pucca Qila’s fortification wall.

The plot owner, backed by some officials of the Sindh culture department, tried to start construction activity for a second time on Friday. He intends to raise a commercial plaza on the plot, which had been created after demolishing around 55ft portion of the fort’s fortification wall some eight years back.

During his surprise visit to the site, the DC tried to reach Sindhu Nawaz Chandio, an official of the culture department, by phone for her comment but she did not respond. She did not also respond to several calls made and massages sent to her.

The plot owner, Mr Shaukat, owns the 2,600sq-ft plot and claims that it was leased out to him by the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The HMC has, from time to time, leased out plots to families living inside this 17th century fort.

Mr Shaukat had purchased the plot from an allottee, Maqsood Sarwari, after the latter feared action against him under the relevant heritage laws if he tried to make any construction on the plot.

The plot was, rightly or wrongly, leased out by HMC’s katchi abadi section. It is located inside the fortification wall of the fort and doesn’t have an opening/elevation from inside. Therefore, the portion of the wall was demolished in 2015 by the then owner so that the property could have front elevation from the side of street’s/road’s opening. The culture department had lodged an FIR of the unlawful demolition.

“Now again, dumpers were brought to the site to clear the plot of garbage overnight. The work continued till 11am,” said a resident of the area who was present there.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2023