KARACHI: The Sindh government on Wednesday submitted to the Supreme Court a summary approved by the chief minister for the purchase of armoured personnel carriers (APCs) for the police from Serbia and other documents as the apex court put off the hearing of an application filed against the deal.

The application against the APCs purchase at ‘exorbitant price’ was filed by a civil rights campaigner, Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, who claimed that the provincial authorities with the connivance of top police officials were purchasing an APC for Rs140 million, while the same could be bought from the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) at Rs40 million only.

On Wednesday, Advocate Farooq H. Naek, appeared before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Amir Hani Muslim and placed on record the summary and other relevant documents, including purchase agreement.

The bench observed that it would pass an appropriate order after the perusal of the documents produced by the provincial government.

Advocate Naek submitted that inappropriate language was used against the chief minister and other government functionaries and baseless allegations were levelled against them in the application of the civil rights campaigner.

He said that an agreement for the purchase of 19 APCs was made in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the province.

Replying to a question by a bench member, the provincial government counsel said that the agreement was finalised after examining several international companies belonging to different countries.

During the hearing, an official of the Heavy Industries Taxila told the judges that the Sindh government had sought details for the purchase of APCs and other weapons from the HIT. He said that all required information was given accordingly, but the provincial government did not respond.

He said that the provincial government was also informed of the design and price of the APCs.

During the previous hearing, the HIT official had informed the judges that all types of modern vehicles for the police and other law-enforcement agencies were being manufactured at the complex. He said the complex could provide APCs and other weapons as per requirement of the police.

The HIT official also informed the judges that an APC of B-7 level and even more advanced level named “Dragoon” could be produced and supplied by them to the Sindh police with their required specifications.

The applicant, Mr Naqvi, had informed the court that the provincial government was purchasing the APCs at much exorbitant rates without inviting international bids in violation of the Sindh Public Procurement Rules, 2010.

He said that the government through the Sindh police had signed a contract with a Serbian company on May 15, 2013 to buy the APCs.

The civil rights campaigner said the APCs being bought from Serbia were used ones and of substandard quality. A technical committee formed to examine the proposed transaction did not recommend it, he said.

Nonetheless, he said, the APCs were being purchased under the cover of the Sindh Emergency Procurement Act (SEPA).

The SEPA authorises the provincial government to make emergency procurements for items related to security and protection of the law enforcement personnel such as APCs, bulletproof and bombproof jackets, helmets and vehicles, and weapons, ammunition and all types of other related equipment.

Mr Naqvi contended that the Act did not spell out any procedure for procurement and overrode the provisions of the Sindh Public Procurement Rules, which restricted the purchase without tender.

He said the provincial government introduced the Act to cover up the illegality in the purchase of the APCs and other equipment for the police and the personnel of law enforcement agencies.

The court would take up the matter on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2015