HYDERABAD: Another heritage property — an 87-year-old building carrying a plaque ‘Hiranand Bherumal Melwani Mansion (1938)’ — located in the middle of Hyderabad city, is being demolished.

The initial demolition process was reportedly started a couple of days back.

The ground+two building is located next to another heritage site, known as Bherumal Gangumal Building, along Fatima Jinnah Road in the Gari Khata area. According to an official document, the Hiranand Mansion was notified as a heritage site in August 2021.

The building’s inclusion in the heritage sites’ list was recommended in 2018 by Abdul Haq Bhambhro, the

son of historian late Atta Mohammad Bhambhro. It was written in the proforma sheet for culture department that “a rectangular building having different style of structure in which Corinthian orders are attracted and the recessed jewelry style on the façade is also seen; the parapet wall is also decorated”.

A recent visit to the site revealed that the second floor of building is undergoing demolition. A man, Mr Farman, present at the site on Sunday evening told this reporter that “the repair work had become necessary”.

Rukun Ul Din Qureshi, the focal person of culture department for Hyderabad was also visiting the building on Sunday evening. He confirmed that the “building (No. 1280) is a heritage property vide serial No. 63 in the list prepared by the department”. According to him, the department had not received any application from its owner, nor has the provincial office sent necessary permission for such activity. “From our side, it is an illegal activity which may Following Sunday’s visit to the site by this reporter, a former SSP of Hyderabad and sitting Director of the Excise and Taxation in the city, Mohammad Ali Baloch, approached Dawn over phone to explain that his maternal uncle, who lives in Hong Kong, actually owns this property.

Mr Baloch claimed that his uncle had actually received a letter from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) declaring that a “portion is dangerous thus requires demolition”.

He said that the SBCA had insisted that if his uncle did not get it demolished, then it (the SBCA) would do the same by itself.

Mr Baloch also argued that “the upper portion is not a heritage property because it was raised only 40 years back”.

He insisted that the mansion is not a heritage site; the property No.1280 is separate one which is adjacent to his uncle’s building. In this regard, he shared an official letter issued on June 13, 2023 to Javed Saeed, owner of the 1280 property.

The letter pertained to property No. 1280/3 and declares that it does not exist in the list of protected heritage sites.

Pereh Mangi, speaking to Dawn on Monday from Karachi over phone, explained that the property Nos. 1280 and 1280/3 did create some confusion. She said such mistake would be rectified in the culture department’s updated list of heritage properties

“But it is clear that the property where demolition is taking place is a heritage property,” she said.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2025