HYDERABAD, Dec 19: The circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the taluka Nazim, Noor Mohammad Shoro, and the Hyderabad Development Authority to appear on Dec 24 in a constitutional petition.

The petition was filed by the general secretary of the Madni Memon Masjid, Memon Housing Society and prayed to the court to declare the orders, issued by the taluka Nazim on Dec 11 as illegal and unlawful.

The petition also urges the court to restrain the respondents from interfering in the construction of the mosque in the Memon Housing Society.

According to details, the petitioner stated that Mohammad Arif had endowed a plot for the construction of another mosque in the society. The society, he said, was spread over 65 acres and had only one mosque.

He said that on July 29 an application had been submitted before the taluka Nazim of Qasimabad for issuance of a no- objection certificate (NOC) for initiating the construction of the mosque.

He said that the Mutawalli of the mosque had also submitted an application before the director, planning and development, HDA, for granting permission for conversion of the above said residential plot for religious purposes.

He said that the director had issued an NOC on Nov 8 while the Memon Cooperative Housing Society had also granted permission for the construction of the mosque.

The petitioner claimed that the taluka Nazim had granted an NOC for the construction of the mosque while the HDA had approved the construction plan on Nov 22.

He said that funds were being collected for the construction, which has not yet been started.

He said that the taluka Nazim of Qasimabad had cancelled the NOC on Dec 11, which had been granted by him on Nov 22.

The HDA, the petitioner said, also threatened to withdraw its permission, adding that the taluka Nazim of Qasimabad had told the mosque’s Mutawalli that he was unable to withdraw his orders.