KARACHI: The Sindh archaeology department has sealed a stunning pre-partition heritage building in Kharadar and issued a show-cause to the owner after the building was partially demolished a couple of days ago.

Jamshed Katrak Chambers built in 1932 was reportedly bought by a Zoroastrian businessman and philanthropist, Kavasji Katrak, who came to India in the early 1900s and settled in Rawalpindi before he moved to Karachi.

Later, he gave the building to one of his grandsons, Jamshed, who died in 2008.

The deputy director, heritage, Pirah Mangi, told Dawn on Tuesday that the building had been partially demolished late in the night two days ago and her team got it sealed through an assistant commissioner next morning halting any further demolishing.

She said that the department issued a show-cause notice to the owner who claimed to have obtained permission for demolition/construction work from the Sindh Building Control Authority.

The heritage officer said that there was also an issue of the plot number of the building and an inquiry was underway to ascertain the actual ownership of the building.

She said that a case would be registered after ascertaining facts under Section 18 of the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994 for illegal demolishing of the building.

Ms Mangi said that the sealing order had been pasted on the wall of the Jamshed Katrak Chambers with a warning that if anyone trespassed on the subject premises or broke the seal, he or she would be prosecuted and punished under Section 18 of the heritage act.

Residents of the nearby building told Dawn that unknown people brought heavy machinery in the small hours of Sunday and started demolition.

Then hours later the field staff of the heritage department reached the spot along with police when almost half of the structure had already been demolished.

It may by noted that most of the heritage buildings are situated in district South of the metropolis and the builders’ mafias have demolished several protected buildings over the years.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2023