PESHAWAR, Jan 9: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday stayed auction of Auqaf properties by the provincial government here till next order.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Malik Hamid Saeed and Justice Ijazul Hassan fixed Jan 15 for next hearing.

The order was issued in a writ petition filed by President of Anjuman-i-Tajiran Haji Ghufran Saraf on behalf of about 51 traders.

The petitioner claimed that most of the tenants had been in possession of the said properties since 1947. He stated that without any notice the administrator of Auqaf department had advertised auctions of the Auqaf properties, which was violation of law.

Advocate Mian Muhibullah appeared for the petitioner and argued that for selling property of Auqaf the department had to first get permission from the federal government. He stated that in present case the department had not received any permission from the federal government. He stated that it was against the principle of natural justice to issue an advertisement for selling of the controversial properties without informing the tenants.