HYDERABAD: Encroachment in front of tajar (ladies chamber) of Kalhoro dynasty ruler Mian Ghulam Nabi Kalhoro’s tomb was finally demolished by district administration officials here on Thursday, opening the face of tajar for public view.

The administration action was supervised by City Assistant Commissioner (AC) Syed Noor Hussain, along with provincial culture department Hyderabad Assistant Director Sindhu Chandio. The encroachment was dismantled after serving notices to the two encroachers whose houses were located in the Katchi Abadi located in Kalhoro Colony in front of Central Prison Hyderabad.

The City AC was also head of the Heritage Protection Committee formed under directive of Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abiden Memon in Dec 2025.

The officials inspected tajar after a long time. It was learnt that such action of demolition of wall erected around it was demolished in 2018 on the request of culture department but it was rebuilt by the residents.

Technically, the ground plus two floor house on the tajar’s left side and another house on its right side could not be built if Antiquities Act 1975 provisions were anything to go by. But the occupants claimed to be possessing lease documents issued by Katchi Abadi of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) in the past. Such leases were issued by HMC in case of Pucca Qilla as well.

In one case of Mohammad Shaukat, the lease documents regarding a big plot inside the fort were found to be forged and fake and cancelled by the HMC accordingly. This plot was created after demolishing the fortification wall of Pucca Qilla. Relevant entries in the revenue record were also cancelled by the then deputy commissioner Hyderabad, Fuad Ghaffar Soomro.

“The tajar of Mian Ghulam Nabi Kalhoro’s tomb lies under the domain of the culture department and they should own it now after dismantling this encroachment. The culture department is custodian of this antiquity now,” said the AC after the administration action. He said that debris was being removed from the site and now culture department officials would erect some board, indicating tajar of the Kalhoro ruler.

Tajar was a ladies chamber where womenfolk of Kalhoro rulers — mother, wife and two daughters — were buried. It was located on the western side of the tomb of Mian Ghulam Nabi Kalhoro. The tomb of Mian Ghulam Nabi Kalhoro is a protected monument under the Antiquities Act of 1975.

“It was not only the wall that has been demolished but the encroachment raised by two occupants on the road has also been dismantled,” said the AC. He added that tajar was to be renovated and conserved.

It was the second important initiative of the district administration as far as protection of heritage sites like Pucca Qilla and Kalhoros’ tomb was concerned. Earlier, a huge wall being built adjacent to the fortification wall of Pucca Qilla was demolished by the owner of the premises under the directive of the AC. The owner was building it without any approval.

Ms Sindhu Chandio told Dawn that after removal of debris, the department would erect a board to indicate the antiquity’s history and then under directive of Sindh minister the tajar would be conserved as well. She said that access to tajar was still difficult due to falling of debris.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2026