High court cancels National Logistic Cell contract for tracking devices

FBR asked to restart the process of awarding the contract and complete it in a month

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court ordered on Tuesday the cancellation of a contract given by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to the National Logistic Cell (NLC) for the installation of tracking devices in cargo containers.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Faisal Agha, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, also directed the FBR to complete the process of giving the new contract for the installation of tracking devices in cargo containers in a month’s time.

While cancelling the contract of NLC the court remarked that FBR had ignored the rules and regulations while processing and awarding the contract to NLC. The petitioner company, East Link, had challenged the award of contract to the NLC. Advocate Haider Waheed and Advocate Abdul Moiz Jafri represented the petitioner. Haider Waheed argued that contract given to a specific company has caused a loss of trillion of rupees to excheaquer while advocate Jaffri argued that Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules have also been violated while awarding the contract.

NAB restrained

Another bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Ahmad Ali Shaikh and Justice Umar Sial restrained the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from further investigation against the Kashmore district local government official, Azhar Mahesar.

Seeking an explanation from the NAB Director-General, the Chief Justice questioned how a person, who didn’t even know how to write, could investigate corruption cases. The court expressed its displeasure with the investigation officer for not responding to the questions.

The chief justice also asked how could NAB conduct an inquiry in a case where the Anti-Corruption Department has already completed its inquiry.  The court remarked that most of the investigation officers of NAB are unaware of the fundamental procedures of inquiry.

The court inquired that when the Anti-Corruption Department has submitted the challan then why did the NAB interfere. The chief justice said that NAB has appointed an investigation officer who couldn’t even write a statement.

Illegal allotment

Chief Justice Ahmad Ali Shaikh ordered the investigation officer of the NAB to produce the record relating to the illegal allotment of 150 acres of land in Jati.



He was hearing NAB’s reference against accused Barkat Ali Khawaja and Muhammad Ali Khawaja for allotting 150 acres of land, illegally.

The chief justice asked the IO if he has visited the illegally allotted land and directed the NAB to submit any entry record if IO has visited the allotted land.  The IO stated that he paid visit to Mukhtiarkar office on February 9, and reviewed the record of the allotted land. The CJ told IO to submit record or entry of his visit to the Mukhtiarkar’s office. The IO said that no such record was available with him. The court told him to see if such record was available in NAB’s office.

Sharjeel’s case

The SHC expressed on Tuesday its annoyance with the Federal Interior Ministry for not submitting their reply on a plea seeking the removal of name of former Sindh minister Sharjeel Inam Memon from Exit Control List (ECL) . The court was hearing the plea filed by Sharjeel Inaam Memon against putting his name on the ECL. The Interior Ministry once again failed to submit its reply on and the court directed it to submit its reply by February 19.

Additional reporting by PPI 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2019.