Pakistan: World War II memorial shields stolen from Frere Hall in Karachi

Dubai: Historic World War II memorial shields were among valuable items that were recently reported stolen from Karachi’s Frere Hall.

The news of the robbery came on July 12, where reports revealed that the robbery took place in the office of the Director General of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

Here’s how the events unfolded.

The situation came to light on July 7, after Frere Hall re-opened following a three-day break for Ashura holidays. Staff first discovered a broken window in the office, which prompted a security check for lost items.

Further investigation found that five shields, a DVD player, a speaker, and a cable of precious shield copper were missing, according to a first information report filed to the police following the incident, as reported by Dawn news.

Currently, one suspect has been identified as a person of interest. This individual, alongside the contractor who was responsible for the stolen items, will be investigated further.

The key local police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) overseeing the case is Syed Asad Raza. He states that, “concerted efforts are underway to arrest the suspect and recover the antiques,” and that, “a breakthrough in the case is expected very soon,” DIG Raza told Dawn news.

Authorities are also checking CCTV footage and local scrap markets for any new leads.

While this specific robbery occurred out of the blue, local authorities reinstate that they had warned KMC members via a letter that Frere Hall is at risk of potential burglaries.

“The park once meant for peaceful recreation, has now unfortunately become a hub of unlawful activities. Local residents and visitors are deeply concerned about a host of issues there. There is no designated parking space, encouraging haphazard parking and facilitating theft,” the letter stated, as reported by Dawn news.

While a robbery of this kind is not an everyday occurrence, past thefts have occurred at Frere Hall. One key example includes the 2017 robbery of the artwork of Seffy Soomro, a local Sindhi artist. Soomro’s paintings were brought to Frere Hall for an exhibition, but were then deemed lost. Soomro was only able to recover his work last year, after spotting his paintings in a popular TV drama, ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum.’

Built in 1865, Frere Hall is one of Karachi’s oldest buildings. Historically, the building was created to serve as the city’s town hall. It was designed by Henry Saint Clair Wilkins, and was named after Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, a British colonial administrator.

Today, Frere Hall is not only a reflection of the city’s colonial past, but acts as a space for preserving history and celebrating the arts. Currently, Frere Hall is home to Liaquat National Library and also serves as a common exhibition space, attracting history-loving residents and tourists alike.