ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday stayed the contract process for import of lamination paper to be used in issuance of passports and sought reply from secretary interior and director General Passport & immigration within two weeks.

A single member bench of IHC comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui resumed hearing of plea filed by a French company through his lawyers Salman Akram Raja against the awarding of contract of passport lamination papers to a company without following Public Procurement Rules.

During the course of hearing,counsel for petitioner apprised the bench that the respondents has awarded the contract of purchase of passport lamination paper amounting to Rs 1 billion to a US company in violation of Public Procurement Rules.

He argued that his client's company was fulfilling the criteria mentioned in the advertisement issued by the ministry of interior.

He prayed the court to stop the implementation process of contract and order the ministry to re-initiate the bidding process.

On this, the court issued a stay order over the contract and sought the report from respondents till April 16.

<Center><b><i>Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2013</b></i></center>