IHC irked over non-implementation of order for calling contract bids.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought an explanation from the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) chairman, as well as from the federal government, for not implementing a judgement calling for initiating afresh the process of bidding for award of a contract to install track and trace system for tobacco products.

A division bench, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Fiaz Ahmed Anjum Jandran, issued the order on Friday after taking up a petition filed by the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) and the ministry of law.

The assistant attorney general argued before the court that a single-member bench had erroneously interpreted the law and scrapped the verdict. He requested the court to set aside the judgement.

Justice Kayani enquired of the government's counsel as to whether the order of the single-member bench had been implemented or not.

When the assistant attorney general replied in the negative, the judge expressed displeasure and sought an explanation from the FBR chairman and the ministry of law and justice.

FBR, law ministry asked for explanation in tobacco track installation case

The court directed the chairman to depute an officer not below the rank of member, and additional secretary in case of the law ministry, to explain the delay in implementing the said judgement.

Further hearing in the matter was adjourned to Dec 21.

The IHC had in May scrapped a multi-billion-dollar licence the FBR had awarded to the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation for installing a track and trace system for tobacco products in the country and empowered the bureau to initiate the bidding process afresh.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb issued the judgement on petitions filed by two companies - the National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (Pvt) (NIFT) and Authentix Inc.

The companies criticised an FBR letter dated Oct 29, 2019, about granting the licence to NRTC at a price of Rs 731 per 1,000 stamps for five years to establish, maintain and operate the entire process of installing a tracking and tracing system for tobacco products.

Pakistan had ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004 and acceded to the FCTC Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products on June 29, 2018.

Article 8.2 of the FCTC Protocol requires Pakistan to establish a tracking and tracing system for all tobacco products manufactured in, imported into, or transiting through its...