ABSTRACT
For over two decades the Sindh Cultural Heritage Preservation Act 1994 – the key statute for heritage protection within the province of Sindh, Pakistan – provided a legal base for heritage protection with over 3000 enlisted properties in Karachi, 1200 in Shikarpur and a few more hundreds in various other cities. An underlying objective of these heritage enlistments was to enact a cooperative arrangement between the government and property owners, facilitating their scientific management and appropriate conservation. Evidences, however, show that in spite of a well-developed heritage inventory the outcomes of the listing process did not achieve desirable results. Analysing the cases of Karachi and Shikarpur, the research presented in this chapter seeks to identify the gaps that have led to the ineffective implementation of heritage laws, examining the differing view-point of various stakeholders and challenges faced by contending parties. It further elaborates on identifying directions for problem resolution and mitigation.
