KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and other law officers to submit reports on the amount of federal and provincial taxes collected from Karachi in the last three years, including how much of that tax revenue was used for the city’s development.
According to the details, the direction came on a lawsuit filed by Mohammad Rameez Khan and others against the alleged non-transparent use of funds in the World Bank-funded Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) project.
The SHC has asked for precise reports in a tabular form from the FBR chairman and deputy attorney general, issuing a notice to the Sindh High Court Bar Association president for the next hearing to assist the court in the matter.
Furthermore, the plaintiffs claim that the World Bank-funded CLICK project was aimed at improving urban management, service delivery, and the business environment in Karachi.
However, they allege that the Sindh government violated procurement rules and awarded contracts to companies without proper bidding procedures.
The plaintiffs have requested the court to declare these contracts as unlawful and restrain the government from awarding further contracts through direct contracting in violation of Section 17 of the Sindh Public Procurement Act, 2009 and rules made thereunder.
Besides, the SHC has also turned down an application to withdraw the lawsuit, stating that the matter pertains to the well-being of the city of Karachi and falls within the ambit of public interest litigation.
The court has directed all authorities to submit reports on the matter to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
