HYDERABAD: The district administration on Monday intervened to stop demolition of a building — recommended for inclusion in the list of heritage sites — soon after the process was started.

The building, built in 1936, is located off Faujdari Road and its ownership is claimed by a citizen, Mohammad Arif Shaikh.

Hours after stopping him from going ahead with the demolition work on Tuesday, City Assistant Commissioner Noor Hussain issued a notice to him. The notice informed him that the building was recommended for inclusion in the list of heritage sites and a decision to this effect was to be taken by the relevant department. A portion of the building had already been demolished before the AC’s intervention.

According to Zawar Rukun ul Din Qureshi, the focal person of heritage and cartographer in the culture department, the demolition process continued despite his advice to the owner to refrain from defiance.

“Inclusion of this 1936 property in the heritage sites’ list had been recommended in 2025,” he said, and explained that “a technical committee takes such a decision after assessing its archaeological or architectural value”. He said that a decision on the recommendation pertaining to this particular property has not been communicated to the culture department as yet. However, on the basis of the recommendation, the owner was advised to refrain from demolishing the structure’s outer side facing Station Road, but he did not desist. “He [Mr Arif] argued that he had already checked with the department concerned that this building was not enlisted as the heritage property,” said Mr Zawar.

AC Noor Hussain intervened when he learnt about the continued demolition work. He got it stopped late Monday night. The next day, he learnt that although the property was not enlisted as a heritage site, it was likely to be declared so. As such, the AC issued a notice to Mohammad Arif Shaikh, who claims to be the owner of the property bearing City Survey No. 433/1, 434 and 435 in Ward-F. The notice also addresses Mohammad Zahid Shaikh, who claims to be the owner of a part of the property bearing City Survey No. 433, Ward-F.

The AC has asked them to submit the documents relating to the property’s ownership, approvals, permissions and NoCs within the next three days.

The Heritage Protection Committee was set up in the City AC’s office in January 2026 under the chairmanship of Mr Noor Hussain to ensure uplift, preservation, documentation and promotion of architectural and cultural heritage of Hyderabad’s old city area.

The decision on culture department’s recommendation for inclusion of the property or otherwise in protected heritage list was not taken. The recommendation was pending since Feb 2025.

It was recommended that the pre-partition building has architectural value. It has projected balconies with stone carving and large windows with wooden panels therefore it may be declared as ‘protected’ under the rules. The building needed repair because it faces public hazards.

The said property was owned by Mohammad Asif. His brother, Mohammad Arif told Dawn that a portion of the property had fallen during rains and that’s why Asif tried to dismantle a shed built on the first floor to avoid any mishap. A shop was located on the ground floor which has a different owner, Zahid.

Meanwhile, the deputy director (heritage) of Antiquities & Archaeology, Culture Department on Wednesday issued notice on ‘unauthorised demolition work on recommended heritage property’ to owner of City Survey No 433/A, 434, 435 Ward-F, requiring him to appear before the office on Nov 2 to address any objection to the enlistment of the aforesaid building as protected heritage and why legal action should not be taken for violating Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994 against him.

It said that according to the focal person on heritage buildings in Hyderabad, the owner had violated Section 10(i) of the above referred Act 1994 and carried out illegal demolition work in the above referred heritage building without obtaining prior permission of this department. The owner has been asked to cease all work within the premises of heritage building failing which the department shall take legal action against him.

The deputy director has also addressed a letter to the regional director of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), informing him that subject property has been recommended as protected heritage by this department under Rule 8(i) of Sindh Cultural Heritage Property (Identification, Enlistment and Protection) Rules 2017.

He has urged the SBCA official not to issue any permission for demolition or construction on the heritage property in question until the matter has been duly processed and decided by the Technical Committee on Sindh Cultural Heritage.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2026