ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices in a petition seeking court’s directions to Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak. PWD) to grant an extension in time for submission of its bids for the award of contract for 200-bed gynaecology hospital Rawalpindi. 
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb conducted hearing of the petition filed by M/S Riaz & sons through its counsel Syed Qamar Hussain Sabzwari Advocate. 
The court also directed that let the bidding process pursuant to the advertisement dated May 26 continue but the same shall be subject to the final outcome of this petition. 
In his petition, the petitioner requested the court to issue directions to Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak. PWD) to grant an extension in time to the petitioner so as to enable it to submit the bids for the award of the contract for which the bids were invited vide advertisement dated 26-5-21. 
The counsel for the petitioner submitted that vide the said advertisement, Pak PWD invited bids for the award of the contract for the establishment of 200-bed Centre of Excellence for Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Rawalpindi. 
He added that even though the petitioner vide letter dated May 26 applied for the bid documents, but they were not made available to the petitioner until June 11 and the last date for the submission of the bids was extended to June 14 through a corrigendum to the said advertisement. 
The counsel further submitted that the entire purpose of an advertisement is that the bid documents are made available and a bidder has sufficient time to present them but a period of two days is too short for a bidder to prepare the bids and that too on public holidays. 
After hearing the arguments, the IHC bench issued notices to the respondents including Chief Engineer North Pak PWD, Superintendent Engineer Circle and Executive Engineer Pak PWD and directed them to submit their reply in this matter.