SHC seeks comments on plea against illegal construction in heritage building

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The Sindh High Court on Monday summoned comments from the culture and heritage department on a petition against illegal construction in a heritage building in the cantonment area.

A division bench headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar had taken up a petition filed by Ch. Aziz Wali Muhammad, who cited the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) chairman and administrator, culture and heritage department secretary and other officers as respondents.

The petitioner, one of the tenants of ETPB, submitted that he has been living in the heritage building, Wassumal Mansion at Bleak House Road, Cantonment area since 1947. The building was constructed in 1901 and taken over by ETPB after the owner of the building migrated to India after Subcontinent partition, he added.

He submitted that ETPB was raising construction on an open space of the heritage building by destroying its fountain without any approved plan and approval from the culture and heritage department. The unauthorized construction was in violation of the Sindh Heritage Protection Act, he said, while pleading to the court to restrain ETPB from raising construction in the building and damaging the property.

On Monday, the court extended its injunction order, staying the construction in the building. It directed the culture and heritage department to file comments for the petition within two weeks without fail.

The court directed the counsel for ETPB to place on record the approved plan of the proposed building that it wanted to construct on the open space.

The hearing for the case was adjourned until February 16.

 

 

 

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