KARACHI, July 23 The Sindh government has advised the Pakistan Rangers to immediately stop the “illegal construction” being carried out at Jinnah Courts, which is protected under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994.

According to sources, two Sindh government departments have finally taken notice of the illegal construction being carried out on the protected site by the Rangers, but have not obtained any first-hand information themselves. Instead, the notice was taken based on several media reports which highlighted the issue last month.

The sources said that the media had reported that the Rangers were constructing a watchtower in their temporary headquarters, Jinnah Courts, in the last week of June.

Nobody could carry out any construction activities on a site protected under the act, which prescribes long prison terms for, and imposes heavy fines on, violators.

An NOC (no-objection certificate)/permission from the advisory committee on cultural affairs, which is headed by the chief secretary, has to be obtained before carrying out any construction activity on a site protected under the act.

When the matter was reported in June, there was just a single watchtower that had been constructed illegally, but when this reporter visited the premises on July 14, another watchtower had also been constructed. The Rangers, therefore, clearly constructed another watchtower despite the Sindh government's advice to cease all construction on the heritage site.

In a July 4 communication on the subject of “Illegal construction at Jinnah Courts Building”, the Sindh culture department had advised the Rangers to stop all construction.

The letter says “It has been reported in newspapers that illegal construction in the premises of Jinnah Courts is being carried out. The premises of Jinnah Courts are declared as protected heritage under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994. And no alteration, addition and construction are to be carried out without permission of the advisory committee of cultural heritage, headed by the chief secretary. In the present case no such permission has been taken.

“It is therefore advised that construction being carried out in the premises of Jinnah Courts be stopped immediately.”

Responding to Dawn's queries, Sindh culture secretary Shams Jafrani said that the department had approached the Rangers regarding the issue and the department would evaluate their response when it arrived, to take action accordingly.

Antiquities dept also takes notice

The Sindh antiquities department has also taken notice of the reports regarding illegal construction at the Jinnah Courts, and has asked the Karachi Building Control Authority to look into the issue. In its letter to the KBCA chief on the subject of “Breach in heritage laws at Jinnah Courts”, it has asked the official to check on the issue and submit a report.

The letter says “A serious breach of Heritage Laws has been reported in the national dailies, [and] the reaction of the masses at the apathy of [the] concerned authorities has also been highly criticised in the media.

“The KBCA being a watchdog, under the concerned laws, especially in relation to the Heritage Act, is required to have reacted on the news, however, it is believed that [the] existing situation will be examined and [a] detailed report will be made by your authority on [an] urgent basis. If required under the law, warranted necessary action be taken under intimation to this department. The matter may please be assigned due priority.”

Speaking to Dawn, Sindh Antiquities secretary Kaleem Lashari said that he had asked the KBCA to look into the issue and take necessary action as prescribed by the law.

He said that after the reports were submitted, the issue would be taken up in the advisory committee - the highest official body to deal with heritage issues - and appropriate action would be instituted against any violator of the heritage act.

The sources said that this was not the first time that the Pakistan Rangers had violated the heritage act, as in the past the law-enforcement agency had illegally constructed huge multi-storey buildings for its staffers and a relatively small multi-storey building on the protected site without getting the mandatory prior permission from the advisory committee or the KBCA. As no punitive action had been taken, the sources said, the Rangers continued to violate the act.