SHC orders IG Prisons to be fair while awarding contracts

A firm had gone to court alleging favouritism in the process.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Inspector General of Prisons to continue the process of inviting tenders for the supply of food to jails and only award contracts to the one which supplies good quality products.

A private firm had gone to court, alleging that the IG Prisons was awarding contracts to firms of his own choice without following the correct procedure.

The firm’s counsel said that the high court had earlier ordered the IG Prisons to improve hygiene in jails across the province and supply good quality food to the inmates.

The lawyer alleged that the IG Prisons had placed advertisements in newspapers, inviting private firms to submit tenders for the supply of food to jails, but he was considering his “favourite” people for the task. He pleaded to the court to stay the tender awarding process.



After hearing the arguments, the bench, headed by Justice Maqbool Baqir, issued notice to the IG Prisons and others for March 13 to file their comments. Turning down the plea for stay, it ordered the IG Prisons to continue the bidding process strictly in terms of the court’s previous order. The district and sessions judge was also directed to monitor the process.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2013.