SHC accepts plea for early hearing of Mohatta Palace case

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has accepted the plea for early hearing of the case related to setting up a medical and dental college for girls at Qasr-e-Fatima commonly known as Mohatta Palace, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) conducted the hearing of a plea seeking early hearing of a case related to Qasr-e-Fatima also known as Mohatta Palace after the high court’s single had ordered to set up a girls’ medical and dental college at the heritage property of late Fatima Jinnah in Clifton.

A single-judge bench of SHC headed by Justice Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan had ordered on October 13 that Qasr-e-Fatima heritage building would be used to set up a medical and dental college for girls besides having a hostel.

The order had been given after both the plaintiffs and defendants agreed to amicably settle the long-standing dispute over the heritage building.

Later, the Sindh government decided to challenge the SHC’s single bench order and the additional advocate general apprised the high court regarding the government’s decision.

The additional advocate general told the high court that a heritage building could not be used for setting up a college and the single bench’s order was illegal. He added that the government will satisfy a two-member bench of the high court regarding the matter.

The government’s lawyer also said that the single bench had also issued illegal order to change its name.

On the other hand, the petitioner’s lawyer told the SHC that the Sindh government and others are running businesses at the Qasr-e-Fatima. The petitioner added that the businesses will be closed after setting up a medical and dental college at Qasr-e-Fatima.

Later, the high court accepted the plea for an early hearing of the case and fixed the hearing on November 15.