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Freemasons Lodge Building (Karachi)

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Freemasons Lodge Building in Karachi, Pakistan is a historic building built in 1914, during British rule, situated near D.J. Sindh Govt. Science College at Molana Din Muhammad Wafai Road.

The Freemasons Lodge was built by the Freemason’s Trust in 1914. and was used for many years for meetings of the Freemason Society. Local people who did not speak English and did not understand the purpose of the building called it "Jadoo Ghar," translated as "the House of Magic".[1][2]

The building was taken over the government after Freemasonry was banned in Pakistan in 1972 when Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was in power.[2] In the early 1990s it was allocated to the Sindh Wildlife Department,[3] and it is now used by the Sindh Wildlife Department Conservator for offices. Circa 2001, it was declared a protected heritage site under the Sindh Cultural Heritage Act of 1994.[3] As of early 2009, renovations and preservation activity were underway, with plans to use part of the building as a museum.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Amar Guriro (January 4, 2009). "Renovation of the historical Freemason Lodge initiated". Daily Times (Pakistan).
  2. ^ a b Peerzada Salman, Masonic mystique, Dawn.com, Sunday, 13 Dec, 2009
  3. ^ a b Amar Guriro, Culture department takes notice of Freemason Lodge Building, Daily Times (Pakistan), Tuesday, September 30, 2008