KARACHI, May 23: The Sindh High Court restrained the provincial privatization commission from creating third party interest or taking further proceedings for disposal of a residential property in Hyderabad.

A petitioner submitted through Advocate Abrar Hasan that he offered Rs 4 million for a defunct Sindh Road Transport Corporation bungalow in Latifabad, Hyderabad, in response to an advertisement in the press. The Sindh Privatization Commission called the petitioner to its office in Karachi for further negotiations. He met the commission and enhanced his bid from Rs 4 million to Rs 8.5 million as a result of negotiations.

According to the petitioner, two bidders, who had initially made higher offers, failed to match his new offer. He was declared the highest bidder. He paid the earnest money and disposed of some of his assets in order to make an immediate payment of the entire price after acceptance of his bid. When he approached the commission for full final payment, however, he was told that his bid had been rejected. It refused to issue a rejection letter and verbally told him that the property would be re-auctioned. He said he was not given a show cause notice or an opportunity of hearing before rejection of his bid, though he had acquired a vested right.

A division bench noted the petitioner’s contention that he was the successful bidder according to the minutes of the privatization commission’s meeting of Nov 22, 2005. Issuing notice to the respondent chief secretary, the privatization commission and the advocate-general, the bench asked the commission to maintain status quo in the meantime.

PETITION ALLOWED: The court, meanwhile, allowed a petition questioning alleged blacklisting of a company for approaching the provincial ombudsman.