HYDERABAD: Apparently ending a controversy over construction work on a heritage site, the ‘owner’ of a 3,000sq-ft plot — adjacent to the fortification wall of historical Pucca Qila — has started demolishing the new structure in the presence of the assistant commissioner (AC) concerned.

On Saturday, the owner, Mohammad Imran Qureshi, had submitted an affidavit in this regard to the AC City, Syed Noor Hussain.

Mr Qureshi conceded that he had started the construction work without seeking the necessary approval / permission from the competent authority. The demolition work was started under the supervision of the AC.

AC Hussain confirmed that Mr Qureshi had submitted his affidavit before him to undertake that he would refrain from carrying out any construction, repair or alteration work in future without obtaining prior permission from the competent authority.

The AC City had sealed the under-construction premises on Jan 3 over violation of the Antiquity Act, 1975, and had asked Mr Qureshi to produce the permission under which he had started construction work on the premises.

The AC had acted on the Jan 2 letter addressed to him by an official of the Sindh Culture Department.

Mr Hussain told Dawn that the document showing his ownership of the premises also required verification. “But it’s a separate issue,” he said, adding that Mr Qureshi had on Saturday agreed to bring in labourers to dismantle the construction which he did.

The AC said that Mr Qureshi, in his affidavit, stated that he would obtain the ownership document from the Katchi Abadis department of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) and submit the same in the AC office.

Mr Qureshi requested the AC to unseal the property considering his undertaking.

The premises was then unsealed as he agreed to get the construction work dismantled.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026