QUETTA, July 18: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court on Tuesday suspended notifications issued by the federal interior ministry and the provincial home department cancelling arms’ licences of Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal group).

The bench, comprising of Chief Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai and Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani, had earlier admitted the petition of former chief minister Akhtar Mengal for regular hearing, which requested the court to set aside both the notifications.

The federal interior ministry and the provincial home department had on April 5 simultaneously issued notifications cancelling Sardar Mengal’s arms’ licences.

The petitioner had filed the petition on May 10, challenging the notifications and the court had issued notices to the federal interior ministry and provincial home department on May 25, seeking their comments.