Expertise Under Question The Shifting Authority of Heritage Professionals in the Context of Heritage Developments in Pakistan

In recent years, the authority of heritage professionals has come under growing scrutiny, especially where heritage is instrumentalized for national identity, development, or tourism. In Pakistan, traditional conservation values often take a back seat to broader heritage goals. This paper examines how the authority of heritage experts is being reshaped and contested in such settings.

Although ICOMOS charters promote value-based, expert-led conservation, the realities in developing countries like Pakistan reveal a more complex landscape. Heritage decisions are often driven by political actors, private agendas, and institutional interests, sidelining professional ethics and established principles. These conditions raise critical questions: Who defines heritage value, and how do professionals respond when ethics are compromised by economic imperatives?

This study focuses on adaptive reuse and urban redevelopment projects in Karachi. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining semi-structured interviews with architects, developers, and officials, alongside field surveys and a critical review of doctrinal texts such as ICOMOS charters and relevant literature. Three types of cases are examined: façadism and symbolic preservation, politically driven restoration without expert consultation, and public–private regeneration projects prioritizing economic gains.

Findings reveal a fragmented context where professional authority is often negotiated, bypassed, or reshaped to suit development-led heritage agendas. International standards are frequently cited but inconsistently applied, often to justify visibility, political narratives, or economic outcomes. The research concludes that heritage professionals in Pakistan operate under constrained agency, with their expertise contingent on adapting to competing demands. This signals the need to rethink how global conservation principles can be locally grounded and how professional authority might be reasserted or reimagined.