KARACHI, Nov 21: Civil contractors association has challenged the KPT’s decision to delist all the contractors.

The matter was fixed before a division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Mohammad Ashraf Legahri and Justice Musheer Alam, on Wednesday. The bench put the respondents on notice for Nov 23.

The petitioner is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act 1860. At present, there were over a 100 members of the petitioner, who were all civil contractors.

Represented by Abrar Hassan, the petitioner contended that its members had acquired vested rights as far as the award of and projects in KPT was concerned as they had fulfilled all the requirements prescribed by the KPT. It was, therefore, their exclusive right to submit bids for the tenders floated by the KPT, in exclusion to all others.

It was contended by the petitioner that on Oct 25 the respondent notified that all contractors listed with the KPT were being delisted and pre-qualified afresh.

The petitioner contended that the decision to delist the contractors was mala fide and motivated by a desire on the part of some interested officers of the respondent to bring their own henchmen as contractors.

The petitioner has prayed for declaring that the decision of the respondent was arbitrary, whimsical, and without lawful authority. The petitioner also prayed for restraining order against the respondent.