PHC issues notice to DG Excise & Taxation

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has issued a notice to director general Excise and Taxation Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a writ petition filed against cancelation of a bid process for manufacturing and supply of number plates to vehicles.

A division bench headed by Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan issued the notice to DG Excise and Taxation in a writ petition of a company M/S A-2-Z E/Payments through its Chief Executive Officer Shakirullah, who was the lowest bidder in the process. The court also issued notice to head of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Authority (KPPPRA) in the case. During hearing of the case, the petitioner’s lawyer Nasir Kamal Yousafzai submitted that the DG Excise and Taxation in 2015 advertised a bid regarding manufacturing and supply of number plates for vehicles for three years.

Like other companies, he said the petitioner also participated in the bid and later on the petitioner was declared as lowest bidder for the manufacturing and supply of the number plates. As per the rules, he said the DG Excise should have declared the company as successful bidder, but in the meantime he called a meeting on the complaint of another company EHH Hoffmanns GmbH Pak, which before the bid had provided the number plates to the department for the last 10 years.

After hearing the arguments, the court admitted the petition for hearing and issued notice to DG Excise and Taxation and head of KPPPRA to submit reply in the case.