THIS is with reference to the editorial ‘Cultural conservation’ (Oct 4) and the report ‘Library threatened by Malir Expressway gets heritage status’ (Oct 3). The Sayad Hashmi Reference Library was declared a heritage site by the advisory committee of the Sindh Culture Depart-ment in a meeting attended by the provincial chief secretary.

However, no official notification has been issued by the Sindh government to formally grant the library the said status. It is the provincial cabinet that decides if or when to grant heritage status after a proposal has been forwarded to it by the advisory committee.

Given that the Malir Expressway’s route and design would have to be changed if the library becomes a legally notified heritage institution, this would mean that the Sindh government would be forced to admit that the environmental and social impact assessment in October 2021 of the project was, in fact, flawed.

Unfortunately, the Malir Expressway is being built on the bed of the Malir River, and has destroyed the last surviving green space of Karachi.

Moreover, the approval issued by the notorious Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) for the construction is still being contested in the Sindh High Court.

S. Siddiqui
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2024