' This suit has been filed by plaintiff, Mr. Naseer Ahmed Shaikh, against Secretary-General, Islamic Secretariat, Jeddah and Director, Economic Affairs Division, Islamic Secretariat, Jeddah, for the recovery of Rs. 11,62,000 on account of prize money for research paper and damages. According to the plaint, Islamic Secretariat is now known as "Organisation of Islamic Conference". According to the plaint, the defendants had made announcements in the Pakistan Press on 25-2-1973 inviting research papers on certain economic subjects. It was further stated in the annoucement that the research scholar, whose paper was found to be the best research paper on the topic in question, would be awarded a prize of 8,000 Saudi Rials. According to the plaintiff, he sent five copies of his reserach paper "Analytical criticism of Economic theories of interest and its application in the light of Islamic ways of life" to the defendants, which papers were duly received by the defendants but thereafter there was no response in spite of several letters written by the plaintiff to the defendants.
In paragraph 5 it is averred that as no reply was received from the defendants, the plaintiff "strongly presumes that the said paper has duly been accepted to be the best on the subject noted above". It is further averred in the plaint that the plaintiff had to suffer great mental strain in waiting for the response from the defendants and he developed arthiritis as a result thereof and the plaintiff has been spending huge amounts of money on his medical treament but has not recovered and he developed a long-life disability on account of mental affliction caused by the defendants thus reducing the plaintiff's capability of earning livelihood for himself. He had filed an earlier suit for declaration and entitlement of recovery of Saudi Rials 8,000 in the civil Court at Karachi in 1979 but the said suit was dismissed by the civil Court under Order VII, rule 11, C.P.C. and the appeal and revision filed by the plaintiff were also dismissed. The plaintiff has claimed 8,000 Saudi Rials as the prize money and damages at the rate of 3,000 Saudi Rials per month which amount to 3,32,000 Saudi Rials and both these claims are equivalent to Rs. 11,62,000, according to the plaintiff, for which amount a decree is claimed in the present suit. No appearance has been made on behalf of the defendants. I have heard the plaintiff in person. Mr. M.M. Pirzada, who was appearing as Advocate, had appeared in the morning but the plaintiff had stated that he would argue the case and as such Mr. M.M. Pirzada withdrew from the case.
2. It was argued by the plaintiff that the contract between the parties had been completed and as such he was entitled to the amount claimed. In my view the present suit is not maintainable. From the averments in the plaint itself it is apparent that no contract had been concluded between the parties. No letter has been filed to indicate that the paper submitted by the plaintiff had been accepted as the best research paper. No doubt the plaintiff had taken great pains and put A in a lot of labour in producing the research paper but this by itself does not entitle the plaintiff to claim the prize of 8,000 Rials. Then the claim of damages is also misconceived. If the paper of the plaintiff has not been accepted, he could not claim any damages. Even if his paper had been accepted and the prize had not been paid he could not claim damages for developing arthiritis during this period.
3. The suit is also barred by limitation. The announcement had, on the showing of the plaintiff himself, appeared in the Pakistani Press in February, 1973 and the last date for submission of such research B paper was till 30-11-1973. The present suit has been filed in this Court on 9-1-1983. The claim of the plaintiff in the present suit is patently barred by time.
4. Suit No 103 of 1983 is accordingly dismissed but with no order as to costs, as no appearance has been made on behalf of the defendants. ied.