KARACHI: The Sindh government’s decision to convert the Mitharam Hostel, an historic edifice with magnificent architecture, into a sub-jail has drawn severe criticism from conservationists who demand the government to take back the decision and set up the jail outside city limits.

The colonial style Gizri sandstone building was a ground plus two upper storey structure purpose built to provide accommodation to students who came from remote areas of the province to its capital in pursuit of higher education.

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A senior architect, Yasmeen Lari, the Unesco’s consultant on heritage management who had lobbied for years and eventually succeeded to get historic buildings protected under the law in mid 1990s, said the decision to convert the historic edifice into a jail should not have been taken.

She said there were many educational institutions around the Mitharam Hostel where thousands of youth came to pursue higher education and they would be exposed to additional security measures required for the safety of the jail.