KARACHI, March 8: The Sindh government has decided, in principle, to ensure protection of cultural heritage of Sindh by providing heritage cover to some of the landmark buildings in Karachi and Hyderabad, including the University of Karachi, under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994.

This decision was taken by the advisory committee for cultural heritage of Sindh which met at the New Sindh Secretariat building on Thursday. Sindh Government Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman presided over the meeting.

Sources privy to the decision told Dawn that Architect and Planning Consultant Arif Hassan had recommended enlisting the University of Karachi as heritage as its master plan and buildings were the finest example in Pakistan of the rationalist movement in architecture of the post-war period

Its plan was designed by Michel Ecochard, a French architect and urban planner, who was a pioneer in relating architecture and urban planning with archaeology in the Islamic world. He is considered as one of the leading architects of the modern architecture movement.

Mr Hassan said that this remarkable complex of buildings had been vandalised over time by ad-hoc changes in the buildings. The additional new blocks were unrelated to Michel Ecochard’s design and concept.

The meeting was informed that a committee formed by the district government of Hyderabad to undertake research work on historical/ancient monuments and architectural sites and to preserve such properties had recommended to the heritage committee to declare some private buildings in and around Pucca Qila, Hyder Chowk, and Naval Rai Market with Clock Tower as protected heritage/conservation area as these locations with their typical building structures have a character of their own.

In all, 11 buildings have been identified by the district government which will be repaired/renovated by the district government to save them for posterity.