SHC seeks details of contracts being awarded against Rs3,600m WB funds.

KARACHI -- The Sindh High Court has directed the provincial and local authorities to file details about tendering and nature of work to utilise an amount of Rs3,600 million provided by World Bank for infrastructure development of provincial metropolis.

The single-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui warned that if tenders were found to have been issued in violation of procurement rules, an appropriate order may be passed notwithstanding issuance of awards.

It directed the local government secretary, municipal commissioner Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and other defendants to submit reply as to how many tenders out of the fund provided by World Bank had been awarded or were under process and what was the nature of work of such tenders.

'Details of each tender be provided separately disclosing amount for which it was awarded or to be awarded, work assignment and reasons for not implementing the procurement rules such as advertisement for calling and inviting bidder for a transparent competition,' the bench in its orders said.

Bench warns of appropriate order if procurement rules are flouted

The bench also issued notices to all the defendants as well as the advocate general Sindh for Nov 21, on the lawsuit filed by two individuals associated with engineering firms.

The lawyer for plaintiffs argued that the Work Bank's funds were being consumed and utilised by the provincial government in the manner which was neither transparent nor lawful.

He further submitted that although it might be an argument that the funds had been utilised in relation to urgent...