LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday allowed the Pakistan Railways (PR) to purchase locomotives by inviting tenders and directly approaching manufacturers of locomotives. The court issued this order while disposing of a petition challenging purchase of American locomotives by railways. Malik Abdul Rehman had filed the petition submitting that the railways director procurement had issued international tenders for procurement of locomotives from manufacturers in the US only.
Petitioner’s counsel Salman Akram Raja argued that tenders were intentionally restricted to the US while according to rules 10, 11 and 24 of the Public Procurement Rules 2004, tenders ought to disregard nationality. Even otherwise, transparency and good governance required that an international tender must be open to all international countries, he said. The petitioner requested the court to restrain railways authorities from purchasing American locomotives. Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, in his concluding arguments, submitted that railways had its own standardised and approved engines and in view of technical requirements and specifications, it could not purchase locomotives of unapproved specifications.
He said in the national interest, railways be allowed to procure the required locomotives urgently. The railways general manager operations appeared in person and submitted that the department was willing to invite offers from any manufacturer who was able to provide locomotives according to specification and requirements of railways. The railways additional general manager also supported this stand. Later, the court allowed railways to purchase the locomotives through tenders and by directly approaching the manufacturers and disposed of the petition.
