HYDERABAD, Dec 20: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, on Tuesday admitted the petition of the Ladies Club for regular hearing and made the government of Sindh, through the secretary of revenue department, a co-petitioner.

The petition was filed by the general secretary of the club.

The bench comprising Mr Justice Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari and Mr Justice Shamsuddin Hisbani ordered for impleading the provincial secretary of culture, tourism and sports as one of the respondents while the petitioner’s counsel has also been directed to file the amended title of petition within one week.

The petition came up for hearing on Tuesday after two weeks as the court directed that interim orders, requiring the parties to main status quo, would continue till the next date of hearing which would be fixed by the court.

The court noted that no counter affidavit was filed in response to the constitutional petition as well as an application of the district government officials, praying to become intervener in the matter.

Representing the Ladies Club secretary, Dr Khursheed Memon, her counsel Mr Jhamatmal Jethanand, argued that the plot in question was property of the country of Sindh which was leased out to the then secretary of the Nari Sabha, Ms Tahkuri for 99 years lease and there was simply no record of property right of the Evacuee Trust Property (ETP) in the revenue record.

“There is no dispute over the point that the Ladies Club existed on the plot”, he said.

He added that the Sindh secretary of culture, tourism and sports had already declared the property as cultural heritage thus it was a fit case for holding regular hearing of the matter after admission of the petition.

He said that the Government of Sindh, through the secretary of revenue, should also be made a party along with the present petitioner for which the tile of petitioner would be amended accordingly.

The Additional Advocate-General, Sindh, Masood A.Noorani, supplemented the contention of the petitioner’s counsel saying that the land was granted to the Nari Sabha in 1939 and the lease is continued.