HYDERABAD: Resumption of construction on a controversial plot on the 18th century Pucca Qila premises — a prohibited archaeological site — in the wake of a civil court’s order, suggests connivance with the plot owner at some official level within district administration, culture department and Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).

The construction resumed at the site in the wake of Feb 4 judgement passed by a civil judge, which said the respondent officials had no objection to the construction if the plaintiff complied with the layout plan.

The deputy commissioner had stopped the construction work following correspondence with culture department and issued directive on Jan 8 for the formation of a technical committee to survey the site but it never saw the light of the day.

The culture department, custodian of the fort, had taken principled position that the plot in question was located within 200ft from the fortification wall of the fort and under the Antiquities Act 1975.

The plot, according to the culture department, is part of 38-12 acres on which the fort exists as per survey conducted recently and that is why the department had written to Sindh Building Control Authority’s (SBCA) regional director even way back in 2023 to stop demolition of the house for the construction of the multistoried building.

AC City Babar Saleh told Dawn on Wednesday that the plot owner had a report from city survey office that the plot was located 260ft away from the fortification wall. On the contrary, the culture department’s assistant director Sindhu Chandio contended that the house that had now been demolished for raising the building was located within the fortification wall of the fort.

Although the AC had visited the site along with culture department’s assistant director and a deputy director of SBCA on Tuesday, the official clarified it was “just a field visit” and not part of the “technical committee” in accordance with Jan 8, 2025, letter.

Ms Chandio claimed that she had already handed over documents relating to the survey of Pucca Qila area to the AC but the latter denied having received the documents.

Surprisingly, till Feb 11 the DC’s Jan 8 letter issued by ADC-I Gada Hussain Soomro on the DC’s behalf had not reached even the assistant director of culture department’s office located within the fort premises.

The letter was also addressed to director of Settlement Survey & Land Records Hyderabad, deputy director of SBCA, director of Planning & Development Control, Hyderabad Development Authority, besides assistant director culture.

Under this letter, the officials were required to go through contents of enclosed papers and a technical team was to be formed comprising survey experts to conduct joint survey of the site, map 200ft radius from the fort’s protective wall using precise tools to determine whether the properties were situated within or outside this limit and submit a detailed report with findings and recommendations within two days.

The SBCA’s deputy director taluka city had stayed the execution of the building’s plan through an order dated Jan 7, 2025, but the SBCA official who appeared in the court said that he had no objection if the plaintiff complied with the layout plan for the construction.

DC busy in “development schemes” Hyderabad DC conceded that the survey by technical committee as per Jan 8 letter was delayed due to his preoccupations with ‘development schemes’. After the SBCA had stayed the layout plan he had become somewhat complacent about formation of the technical committee, he claimed. He had asked the AC to visit the site, he said.

The culture department’s assistant director Ms Sindhu told Dawn that she briefed DG Culture and Antiquities that the department was not made party in the case which was decided on Feb 4.

According to DG Culture Fatah Sheikh, the department would question the order before the court on ground that the department being custodian of the archaeological site was not impleaded as party and facts were concealed by the plaintiff.

In an identical case pending trial in civil court fortification wall of the fort was demolished in 2015. The plot owner, who was a veteran activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, had moved the court against his harassment by official respondents. The case was now fixed for hearing on Feb 26.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2025