KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday was informed by advocate general Sindh that the government would reconsider the list that declared Hotel Metropole as protected heritage.
SHC bench, headed by Justice Nadeem Akhter, was hearing the petition filed by Karachi Property Investment Company (Pvt) Ltd which cited City District Government Karachi, Karachi Building Control Authority and chief secretary as respondents and requested the court to direct them for strike down Hotel Metropole as protected heritage site.
In Tuesday´s hearing, the advocate general informed the court the meeting of Technical Committee of Sindh´s Cultural Heritage will be conducted today (Friday) to reconsider the impugned list of protected heritage site. “There is a possibility that immoveable property involved in one or all the petitions may be deleted from the list or the entire list may be revised,” he added.
The court adjourned the hearing till 24th May 2016.
Earlier, the petitioner had submitted that it had acquired ownership of the land and building belonging to Hotel Metropole in 1967 and many offices had been rented out to different parties.
It informed the court that the culture department through a notification had declared 1,061 buildings, including Hotel Metropole´s building, as protected heritage site. “The entire architecture has been demolished or renovated in 2006, major structure was also demolished by Karachi Building Control Authority,” the petitioner added.
The petitioner had submitted that the building had no more archaeological value, thus it should not be declared as a protected heritage site as it would cause the petitioner.
