KARACHI: An ancient colonial-style building situated in the protected zone of the Pucca Qilla (fort) was extensively demolished by the education department before the culture department halted the activity, it emerged on Saturday.

Sources said the education department wanted to build a school after demolishing the historical structure, owned by the culture department office inside the fort, which is a protected monument.

Responding to Dawn queries, Sindh culture department director (archaeology) Qasim Ali Qasim said that a couple of times earlier as well, the education department and a member of the Sindh Assembly from the area had approached the culture department for the demolition of the ancient structure for the construction of a school on its site, but the culture department had refused to grant its permission.

Most of the debris of demolished structure missing

The culture department intended to restore and rehabilitate the historic structure, which earlier belonged to the Mir rulers of Sindh. During the colonial period, the building was converted into an army camp. After independence, the revenue office was set up there. It was later handed over to the federal archaeology department and it was devolved to the culture department after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The director said the ancient structure itself was not protected but it was within the 200-foot buffer zone of the protected structures, as prescribed in the Antiquity Act 1975, where no development / demolition activity could be carried out. Besides, it was an old structure with colonial style architecture.

He said he came to know about the illegal demolishing activity on Tuesday morning through media persons who were making queries about it. He said he immediately sent Zafar Waraich, a conservation assistant at the fort, to the site to see and report the matter to him. Mr Waraich was then asked to immediately get the demolition work stopped and also report the matter to the police.

The sources said that the demolition had been under way for the past few days but local officials of the culture department did not take any action owing to which the major portions of the fragile ancient structure were damaged.

Responding to queries, Mohanlal Ochhani of the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT), which is carrying out a rehabilitation and restoration project (relating to Darbar Hall and the main gate of the fort) in the Pucca Qilla fort and intended to carry out the restoration and rehabilitation work on this ancient structure also, said that a major portion of the building had been demolished in the past few days.

What was more damaging, he said, was that the education department officials who were carrying out the demolition had even taken away the debris comprising old material which would be required for the restoration of the structure. He said that the material, which might be sold as scrap, should be recovered as it was of immense value for the restoration work.

When contacted by Dawn, EFT secretary Hameed Akhund said he had approached Education Minister Nisar Khuhro on Monday evening and informed him about the illegal demolition of the ancient structure and the minister had assured him that he would get it stopped.

This was the fourth time that the organisation being headed by Mr Khuhro had violated the conservation laws. Earlier during his tenure as Sindh Assembly speaker illegal constructions were carried out in the historic assembly building, which is also a protected monument where such activities could not be carried out.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2014