KARACHI, July 25: A division bench of the High Court of Sindh stayed on Thursday the removal of leased houses and other establishments in the Lyari riverbed for construction of the Lyari Expressway till further orders.

The bench, consisting of Justice Ataur Rahman and Justice Mohammed Afzal Soomro, was hearing a constitutional petition filed by Mohammed Rafique and other 15 residents of Goharabad, Old Sabzimandi, including area councillor Aziz.

Shaukat Shaikh, counsel for the petitioners, submitted that the land was leased out to the petitioner in 1993 and the government could not revoke the lease.

After initial arguments, the court issued notices to the state, the City District Government Karachi and others, while restraining the authorities concerned/executants of the project from removing the houses and other establishments in question owned by the petitioners till further orders.

The same bench also put off the hearing of a petition filed by former minister of defence Aftab Shabaan Mirani, challenging the inclusion of the names of 1,990 voters in voters lists fraudulently.

Earlier, Deputy Attorney-General Amir Hani Muslim submitted comments on behalf of the Election Commission and other respondents. — APP