ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: Four parties participated in the pre-bid meeting held here on Wednesday for the sale of 90 per cent shares of Hazara Phosphate Fertilizers Ltd (HPFL).

According to a an official handout, the pre-bid meeting, held under the chairmanship of Privatisation Commission Secretary Shaikh Ikramullah, discussed the process of privatisation of HPFL and responded to the queries of the prospective bidders.

The Privatisation Commission had received nine expressions of interest from the prospective investors for the sale of 90 per cent HPFL shares, owned by National Fertilizers Corporation of Pakistan, while only eight parties were pre-qualified for the transaction.

The parties participated in the pre-bid meeting include: Al-Tuwairqi Group of Companies, Karachi; Chanar Sugar Mills Limited, Lahore; Regal Food Products Ltd, UK facilitators; TN Associates, Islamabad; and WARBLE (Pvt) Limited (Allahdin Group of Companies), Lahore.HPFL is located in Haripur, NWFP, 75-km from Islamabad. The factory is situated on 57 acres on developed land and includes factory, housing and other amenities.

HPFL produces 90,000 tons per annum of granular single super phosphate (GSSP) and 30,000 tons per annum of sulphuric acid required for the production of GSSP. The plant was rehabilitated and re-commissioned in April 1999.