HYDERABAD: The Sindh Culture, Tourism, Antiquities & Archives department claims its local official had asked Sindh Building Control Authority in December 2023 to cancel the no objection certificate (NOC) it had issued for plot (No.2727) located in Pucca Qila, but the SBCA rejects the claim and contends the NOC was issued only after the department conveyed to it in writing the plot was not on the list of heritage property.

A visit to the site on Wednesday revealed that construction of basement and ground floor on the plot located in Gali No.4 in Pucca Qila was near completion. Pillars were ready when the work was stopped by the plot owner Qasim Shaikh, who was having a power of attorney on behalf of Sheikh Imran. Qasim had reportedly bought it from Sheikh.

Additional DG SBCA Ali Mehdi told Dawn on phone from Karachi on Wednesday that the NOC was issued only after a Hyderabad culture department official had informed the authority in writing that the plot was not on the list of heritage property but now the department had raised objection that the plot was part of archaeological site’s land therefore the NOC should be cancelled.

The SBCA would issue show-cause notice to the plot’s owner for cancelation of the very NOC, he added.

A Hyderabad-based SBCA official disclosed that the authority’s regional office had sought clarification from the culture department to know whether the plot was on the heritage list but SBCA didn’t get a reply. Subsequently, the plot owner was issued challan of Rs10,000 for demolition of the old house, he said.

He said that when the owner started work the SBCA office received a letter from culture department to get the work stopped. “Our rules say if a site is not on the heritage list it can be considered for approval of NOC by SBCA thus the NOC was issued. But the culture department official claim since the plot was located on the site of antiquity no such construction can take place there,” said the official who was dealing with SBCA affairs related to city taluka where the Kalhoro era fort is located.

Assistant Director of culture department, Ms Sindhu Chandio, however, insisted SBCA was clearly informed that the entire fort was an antiquity, therefore as per section 22-C of Antiquities Act, 1975, no construction could take place within an area of 200ft of the antiquity. The plot No.2727 was located in this very area, she said.

Ms Chandio had urged the SBCA regional director in a letter dated Dec 6, 2023, not to issue any NOC for the plot and drew his attention to the fact that the owner had demolished property under an NOC issued by SBCA regional office in violation of Section 22 of Antiquities Act 1975, a federal law, which prohibited such act. She requested that the NOC be cancelled forthwith.

“It is also requested not to issue NOC in connection with buildings situated in the fort area without prior NOC from this department,” read the Dec 6 letter, which was addressed separately to assistant commissioner of the city taluka the same day but no action was taken then.

Residents of the area said that present owner of the plot No.2727, Qasim Sheikh, had bought an old house adjacent to his plot. The structure would be demolished and amalgamated in the very plot in question, they said.

Sheikh was already directed by AC City taluka to stop construction work and appear before him on Jan 3 in his office along with relevant record, permission, registry etc.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2025