HYDERABAD: The provincial culture secretary on Monday informed the Sindh High Court, Mirpurkhas bench, that Karoonjhar Hills would be declared ‘protected heritage’.

Petitioner Advocate Shankar Meghwar had originally filed an application in the high court’s Hyderabad circuit on the matter last year and a bench comprising Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Arshad Hussain had passed a comprehensive order in October 2023. Later, the matter was transferred to SHC’s Mirpurkhas bench when it was established. Finding that the comprehensive order was not complied with, Advocate Meghwar filed a miscellaneous application in the Mirpurkhas bench in the wake of a recent Sindh cabinet decision about excavation in a part of Karoonjhar Hills. The fresh plea was taken up for hearing and was fixed for hearing. Notices were issued to the respondents for Aug 12, directing them to show compliance of the May 7 order in the matter.

According to the petitioner, the Sindh secretary culture (respondent No-3) on Monday filed a statement before the court. He stated that it was in compliance of this court’s order dated May 7. He submitted that 32 sites in the vicinity of Karoonjhar mountain, Tharparkar district, had already been declared ‘protected heritage’. Out of the 32 sites, seven monuments/sites were declared protected heritage by the federal government and 25 others by the Sindh government.

The secretary submitted that the matter was placed before the technical committee on the Sindh cultural heritage which took it up in its meeting held on Dec 20, 2023. The committee decided to constitute a subcommittee, comprising Dr Kaleemullah Lashari, Dr Anila Naeem, Sohail Kalhoro, Dr Altaf Aseem, Nadeem Ahmed Khan and Dr Mohammad Ali Manjhi.

The secretary further stated that recommendations of the subcommittee had been placed before the technical committee for consideration and further recommendations to the advisory committee, and the matter for decision would be placed before the Sindh cabinet as per Section 4 of the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994. The secretary prayed the court to acknowledge that the process with the technical committee had already commenced and that Karoonjhar Hills would be declared protected heritage site upon completion of all relevant legal and procedural requirements in accordance with law.

The bench, comprising Justice Adnanul Karim Memon and Justice Amjad Ali Bohio, took up the matter and gave some important observations. The bench made the secretary’s statement part of court’s record and observed that it would pass order during course of the day (Monday).

In his fresh miscellaneous plea, the petitioner had questioned the excavation on ‘Kharsar Karoonjhar’ mountain under July 11 decision of the executive committee of the SIFC (Special Investment Facilitation Council) on Nagarparkar Granite Excavation Project.

He said the decision was in disregard of the judgement dated Oct 16, 2023 which was announced on October 19 by the SHC Hyderabad circuit bench in his petition wherein court, in para-28 (c) of order, declared the “entire Karoonjhar hills are one monument” under law and could not be divided into pieces and portions for any excavation.

He said Kharsar Karoonjhar was not separate from Karoonjhar and was connected with the latter for being located near the Kharsar village.

The Kharsar Karoonjhar site, located just 25km from Nagarparkar near the village of Kharsar, stands at a height of over 400ft. He said Kharsar Karoonjhar was declared protected heritage being part of Karoonjhar as per the judgement of that court.

However, the Sindh government in its cabinet agenda (decision of 9th executive committee of SIFC on Nagarparkar Granite Excavation Project) has illegally permitted mining and excavation activities subject to clearance from the forest and wildlife department.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2024