The Sindh Antiquities and Archaeology Department has ordered the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to seal Karachi’s historic Baweja Building after detecting illegal renovation and repair work.
The protected heritage structure, located on Mir Karam Ali Talpur Road in Saddar, dates back to 1925. The building is known for its distinctive Anglo-Mughal architectural style, featuring domes, cupolas, ornate arches, and intricate stone detailing.
Authorities listed the Baweja Building as a protected heritage property (SD-P-192) due to its historic and architectural significance.
The structure originally served as a commercial office building and now accommodates serviced apartments, corporate offices, and a small shopping mall.
Director General of the Sindh Antiquities and Archaeology Department, Abdul Fatah Shaikh, confirmed that the owner, Muhammad Asif Sultan, carried out demolition and renovation work without prior approval.
The department issued a show-cause notice in October 2025 for violating the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994.
Shaikh said the owner ignored multiple notices to appear before the department and explain the unauthorized work. Despite initial orders to halt construction, illegal activities reportedly resumed later.
The department has formally written to the SBCA, the deputy commissioner, the district SSP, and the local police station to take strict action and stop further work at the site.
Under the heritage law, no demolition, alteration, or construction is allowed on a declared heritage building without approval from the Technical Advisory Committee on Sindh Cultural Heritage.
The DG directed the SBCA to immediately seal the building and ensure that no development takes place until the committee issues a final decision.
Karachi continues to face threats to its architectural heritage as illegal construction and unauthorized alterations to colonial-era buildings persist despite existing regulations.
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Don’t believe a word of it…securing the cultural heritage of Sindh… when Karachi and Haiderabad… just to name two major cities of Sindh are literally falling to pieces… overloaded with garbage strewn all across even the major roads of the cities… which have 6″-8″ (inches) deep…khaddas…along the entire length of even any major road… residential apartment buildings showcase walls deteriorating with seepage from usage of low quality drainage pipes by the construction companies…
and there are hundreds of stories which can’t fit in here…