ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: The Supreme Court has set aside orders passed by the Sindh High Court, whereby the petitioners had been restrained from entering the shopping arcade and shops in Sheraton Hotel, Karachi, in their possession.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice M. Javed Buttar and Justice Hamid Ali Mirza passed the order on a civil petition filed by Pervaiz Hussain and another against the Arabian Sea Enterprises, in which they had challenged orders of a judge and a division bench of the SHC.

The Supreme Court order said: “For the reasons to be recorded later, petition is allowed, the order dated Aug 31, 2005, passed by learned single judge of the high court and order dated Sept 20, 2005, passed by learned division bench of the high court are set aside to the extent whereby the petitioners have been restrained not to enter into Shopping Arcade in Sheraton Hotel bearing Nos 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 13, as well as shops No.3 and 7 in possession of the petitioners where they were doing their business prior to July 19, 2005, when they were forcibly not allowed to enter the shops by putting fetters and iron bars upon the doors. The petition is converted into appeal and allowed with no order as to costs.”

The petitioners were represented in the apex court by Makhdoom Ali Khan, while S.M. Zafar appeared for Arabian Sea Enterprises.—PPI