KARACHI, March 14: Illegal construction, repairs and renovation work is going on in a building protected under the Sindh Cultural Heritage Act, in Saddar, it is learnt.

According to the sources, the occupants of an apartment and a shop in the State Life Building, No 5 A, Zaibunnisa Street, are continuing with the illegal construction work in the protected building without getting any permission from the relevant departments.

The building, previously known as the Ideal Life Assurance Co (ILACO) Building, is one of the best manifestations of colonial-era architectural art and is located on one of the old and main business avenues in Saddar.

No work, including construction, repairs, renovation etc could be carried out by anybody, including the owner, in a building protected under the act, without getting prior permission from the advisory committee on Cultural Heritage, which was headed by the Sindh chief secretary, the sources said, adding the act prescribed long prison terms and heavy penalties for violators.

Under the act, a person intending to carry out repairs or renovation or make any changes in the original design and structure of a protected building has to apply to the Sindh Culture Department or the National Heritage Cell (NHC) in the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA), mentioning his complete plans regarding the building.

The application is presented in the advisory committee, headed by the chief secretary, which takes the decision, which is then communicated to the applicant, by the Culture Department through the NHC.

Besides this procedure, which is required only in case of a protected building, if anybody wants to carry out any construction, repair or renovation work in any other building, even then he has to get a permission from the KBCA.

The people carrying out work in the State Life Building on Zaibunnisa street have neither the NOC from the advisory committee, nor from the KBCA, it is learnt.

Responding to the Dawn queries, the KBCA's NHC chief, Atiq Beg, said that no permission had been given to the people carrying out work in the State Life Building, adding the permission issued by the advisory committee would be given to the applicant by the NHC, he added.

KBCA's Sadar building deputy controller Abdul Rehman Ansari said that the people carrying out the work had not even applied for a permission, adding that they were carrying out illegal work.

He said that the KBCA had already issued letters, telling them to stop the illegal work, but the work was still going on. The letter issued to the shop owner says: "Owner / tenant of N. M. Chhotani Jewellers, State Life Building No 5 A, Old Ilaco House. Zaibunnisa Street Saddar. Subject: Renovation work in protected building.

It has been observed that renovation work / interior decor is being carried out in a declared protected heritage building in the above jewellry shop without prior permission from the government.

You are, hereby directed to stop the same work and obtain permission from the Heritage Culture Department, failing which action shall be taken as per rule / law."

Mr Ansari said that the letter issued to the flat occupant says: "It has been observed that unauthorised repair work was in progress on first floor of a declared heritage building. You are hereby directed to stop the said work forthwith after receiving this letter, failing which action shall be taken as per rule.