KARACHI, Oct 10: The federal and Sindh governments are in a tug of war over the restoration work on a historical building in Larkana, it has been reliably learnt.

The Sindh government through a multi-million-rupee project wants to restore and rehabilitate the historical Tajjar Building, which is protected under the Antiquities Act 1975, but the federal archaeology department refuses to grant permission for it, according to sources.

Situated in the heart of Larkana, the historical building said to be built by Nawab Wali Mohammad Khan Leghari, a prime minister of the Mir rulers, in the early 19th century is in a shambles.

Secretary of the Sindh Antiquities Department Kaleem Lashari, who had prepared the restoration plan, approached the federal government for the permission so that glories of one of the most impressive buildings in Larkana could be restored. The construction of a memorial for the late Nawab Leghari at the building was also part of the proposed restoration project.

However, Tahir Saeed of the federal archaeology department in his response stated, “The Tajjar Building is declared as a protected antiquity under the Antiquity’s Act 1975, therefore, under the Antiquities Act 1975 permission for its adaptive use as proposed by the Sindh government cannot be granted.”

The sources said that though the federal government, in principle, was not opposed to the restoration and rehabilitation of the historical building, it was not sure about the technical expertise in the field of restoration work on a historical structure available with the Sindh government. The federal government’s experience in this regard had not been good as a few historical monuments had already been ruined in the restoration process.

Earlier the federal archaeology department had allowed the Sindh government to carry out the restoration work on the Ranikot, one of the largest forts in the world, and Kotdigi, a fort near Khairpur, the sources said. The Sindh government carried out the “restoration” work in such an unprofessional manner that the authenticity of the historical structures had been seriously affected.

The technically non-qualified people implementing these restoration projects had used the cement in the old structures and also constructed modern structures – staircases etc – in the historical building, ruining the old look of the monuments. So the federal government was reluctant to hand over the Tajjar Building to the Sindh government to carry out the “restoration” work without first being ensured that the work would be carried out by technically qualified people.

The archaeology department’s “expertise” was also far from ideal, said the sources, citing the restoration of the Wazir Mansion, the Quaid-i-Azam’s birthplace, that when a portion of its balcony fell off owing to carelessness of a construction worker, to protect its project director, an Arabic scholar, the department had all the galleries demolished, saying that new galleries like the original ones would be constructed.

A short history

The strong baked-brick building on 42 feet by 42 feet is located on southeast of the Larkana Town Hall inside the Jinnah Park and tastefully decorated with glazed tiles and floral fresco paintings, traces of which, if looked carefully, could still be seen at some places. Tajjar in Sindhi means arch and as the building has many arches, it is known by that name. Earlier, Nawab Leghari and then British officials used to hold kutchehries (public meetings) there till the beginning of the 20th century when Larkana district was carved out of Karachi and Shikarpur districts. Nawab Leghari died in 1832 and was buried temporarily (as Amanat) in the garden and the Tajjar building was constructed over his grave. Then his remains were relocated to Hyderabad.

The building had gone through ravages of time, “restorations” and various additions and alterations owing to which it was deprived of almost all of its original grandeur. A library was also set up in the building in the late 19th century. Later the building was put to some others uses, including, for some time, serving as a canteen that expedited its deterioration.

The government initiated some restoration work during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s rule and later also, but the projects were left incomplete. The building was declared a protected monument in 1980 under the Antiquities Act 1975.

While the Sindh government is still striving to get the required permission, the federal government is refusing to grant it, the funds allocated under the multi-million-rupee project might lapse and the condition of the historical monument deteriorate further.

“By the time it is decided who will do the work, little will be left to restore and rehabilitate,” says an expert.