ISLAMABAD, July 29: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Hafiz Hamdullah, the health minister of Balochistan, to stay in his office till the final disposal of appeal against his disqualification by the Balochistan High Court.

A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice M. Javed Buttar and Justice Sayed Saeed Ashhad while admitting Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) minister’s appeal for regular hearing suspended the operation of the high court and served notice on Attorney-General Makhdoom Ali Khan to appear before the court on the next date of hearing.

“The operation of the impugned judgment of the BHC is suspended,” ruled the chief justice with an observation that the case would be heard on a regular basis in the first week of October.

Meanwhile, Hafiz Hamdullah would continue to serve as a provincial cabinet minister till the final disposal of his appeal by the apex court, the order said. On Wednesday last, a division bench of the BHC had disqualified Hafiz Hamdullah after cancelling his election and ordering re-election in PB-9 Qilla Abdullah-1, Balochistan. Being aggrieved, the minister challenged the order before the Supreme Court.

Hafiz Hamdullah was a teacher at the government primary school Madressah Taleemul Quran, Chaman. He was disqualified by the high court on a petition of Haji Saifullah Khan Achakzai, a leader of Pakhtoonkhwah Milli Awami Party, who had challenged his qualification as member of the provincial assembly on the grounds that he contested the election without completing two-year bar after resigning from the government service.