The Sindh government has asked the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to vacate its head office at Block 77, Pakistan Secretariat in the Saddar area. The provincial government has issued a final notice to the PSQCA in this regard. But a top official there, who wished not to be named, said that the authority has requested the provincial government to either review its decision or provide an alternative space for the organization.
He said that Sindh government aims to build a multi-story building on the location. "We have urged the Sindh government to provide a portion of that building for our accommodation or allocate an alternative place somewhere else," he said. The organization is waiting a reply from the provincial secretary office, he said.
It would be difficult to move multi-million rupee laboratories from the head office. said another official. Some of the machines are so large that they cannot be moved as long as some portions of building structure are not demolished, he said. Twelve laboratories are working at the head office for a number of years, including training institute.
But the Sindh government's new move will create many problems for the PSQCA, the officials said, including financial difficulties. This would also leave negative impact on the financial performance of the authority. The issue has been brought to the notice of the minister of state Mir Dostain Khan Domki and the federal secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Yasmin Masood during their recent visit to the PSQCA.