HYDERABAD, Dec 2: The counsel for the Evacuee Trust Property Board on Thursday sought time from the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, to file comments on the Ladies Club petition on behalf of the chairman, administrator, deputy administrator on the next hearing on December 20.

The court extended the status quo ordered earlier till the next hearing.

The court also took up application of the EDO revenue, praying the court to allow him to become party in the matter.

Respondents’ counsel Jehangir Hussain Shah represented ETP officials and filed his power in the constitutional petition which was filed by Jhamatmal Jethanand on behalf of the general secretary of the Ladies Club, Dr Khurshid Memon.

The court granted him time.

Dr Memon said on November 12, 2005 when club’s offices were closed, police scaled the wall, broke open locks of gates from insides, opened doors and some private persons, one of whom was carrying bag of locks and other material and two employees of respondents entered premises.

The SHO Market police station forcibly ejected staff of the club and sealed main office, hall and two gates from inside and outside, breaking portion of wall of watchman’s room and asked him not to enter premises.

The petitioner submitted before the court to declare that premises of ladies club Hirabad was not evacuee/evacuee trust property and notices dated October 17 and 18, issued by deputy administrator Evacuee Trust Property (ETP) Hyderabad Region, are without lawful authority and of no legal effect.

She said construction company which claimed to be the lessee of the club’s land tried to forcibly eject petitioner but did not succeed and on July 7, 2000 as the Sindh government declared premises as ‘protected heritage’ under provisions of the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994.

She prayed the court to declare that action of the SHO of entering premises, removing staff, allowing private persons to break the locks of gates from inside and putting their own locks and employees of respondents to seal the outer gates are without lawful authority.

She requested that seals and locks should be removed and respondents should be restrained from interfering with petitioner and their employees from performing their duties of running school, industrial home, ladies club and ladies welfare cooperative society in the premises.

The court also issued notices for December 20 on an identical petition filed by Ayaz Latif Palijo on behalf of Sabah Khanam, Parveen, Nabeela Memon and Ambreen Memon, praying the court to retrain ETP officials from taking over possession of Ladies Club illegally and its subsequent handing over to the builder.

The petitioners said that builder mafia wanted to occupy the club in collaboration with ETP officials for which club’s tenancy was cancelled on October 17, 2005.

They said that it had been declared as cultural heritage by the Sindh government.