SHC seeks reply from Sindh govt over plea demanding Rs650 million in dues

The Sindh High Court issued on Monday notices to the provincial health department among others over a plea filed by a company seeking recovery of outstanding amount for providing Covid-19 kits.

The petitioner, Popular International, submitted that the company was awarded a contract by the Sindh government to provide them with Covid-19 detection kits during 2021 and 2022, which it supplied as per the agreement.

The petitioner’s counsel, Makhdoom Ali Khan, said that the provincial government had admitted liability of the dues and the director for general health and services, Hyderabad had written a letter to the health secretary for the release of the funds. He pleaded the court to direct the respondents to pay the plaintiff the outstanding amount of Rs.65,64,57,900.

A division bench of the SHC, headed by Acting Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, asked Khan about the maintainability of the petition, saying that the matter could be brought up in civil proceedings. The plaintiff’s counsel argued that as there was no dispute on the liability since the health department had already admitted owing the amount, his client could approach the court through a constitutional petition.

The bench, after conducting a preliminary hearing, issued pre-admission notices to the provincial law officer, health department and other respondents, seeking their comments on the petition by November 20.