KARACHI   -  The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday restrained the civic authorities from razing Sindh Assembly opposition leader Haleem Adil Shaikh’s farmhouses in Karachi’s Malir area.

The court issued notices to the chief secretary and other respondents on a petition moved by the PTI leader.

After a preliminary hearing, the SHC bench granted a stay order against further demolition of his farmhouses and sought comments from the authorities concerned in this regard. The hearing was adjourned until February 23. Haleem Adil Shaikh’s lawyer contended before the court that his client’s farmhouses are being razed by the provincial government out of vengeance and pleaded that it be restrained from doing so.

On Saturday, the administration had launched an anti-encroachment drive on the outskirts of Karachi and pulled down dozens of farmhouses reportedly owned by Haleem Adil Shaikh, who termed the action as a ‘personal attack’ for his ‘outspoken and fearless’ campaign against alleged corruption of the PPP.