KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued a stay order until the next hearing in response to a petition filed against the culling of Australian sheep allegedly sick with anthrax, DawnNews reported.

The SHC adjourned the hearing until Sept 27.

There have been disputes within the medical committee, formed under the directives of the SHC, over the medical condition of the nearly 20,000 Australian sheep, which some say suffer from highly dangerous anthrax.

According to the president and other committee members, the sheep do not show strains of anthrax whereas one member of the committee, Dr Nazeer Kalhoro, states that the sheep do show symptoms of the fatal disease.

At a previous hearing on Saturday, the SHC ordered provisional testing by veterinary and microbiological experts of the Australian sheep. The division bench, headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar also issued a stay order against the culling of the Australian sheep until Sept 24, provided there were no signs of deadly anthrax found in the herd.