KARACHI: A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court on Monday restrained court’s official assignee from taking over the possession of Mohatta Palace in compliance with a single bench order of October 13.

The order was issued by the bench hearing an intra-court appeal filed by the Sindh government against the single bench order for converting Mohatta Place into a medical and dental college for girls with residential facilities.

The two-judge bench headed by Justice Aqeel Abbasi issued notices to the defendants for November 18. Justice Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan had passed the order with the consent of the parties of a dispute regarding the estate of Fatima Jinnah, sister of the founding father of the country Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Justice Zulfiqar for the establishment and management of the college also proposed the formation of a committee or trust.

Initially, the suit for administration was instituted on October 29, 1970, by Hussein Ali Walji, first cousin of Fatima Jinnah.

Later, Shireen Jinnah also initiated proceedings for obtaining her share in Fatima Jinnah’s estate which included moveable and immovable property, jewellery, shares, cash and other items.

In 1979, Shireen Jinnah purportedly formed a trust for establishing a medical college in the premises of Qasr-e-Fatima commonly known as Mohatta Palace.

The institution of the trust namely Shireen Jinnah Charitable Trust (SJCT) was also contested by Hussein Ali’s successors. The current plaintiff in the administration suit Nazish Amir Ali Walji is the grandson of Hussein Ali Walji.