Vawda rejects PML-N, PPP’s demand to cancel Mohmand Dam contract

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda on Thursday rejected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) demand to cancel the Mohmand Dam contract.

The PML-N and PPP had demanded that the contract be cancelled after it was confirmed that the joint venture of Descon owned by Adviser to PM on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood and Chinese company, China Gezhouba, had won the bid for the construction of the Rs309 billion Mohmand Dam.

Rejecting the demand of the opposition parties, the federal minister for water said, "The elements demanding that the contract be cancelled are conspiring against the construction of dams."

Claiming that PML-N and PPP are conspiring against the dam, Vawda said, "These elements want to make the construction of the dam controversial and hinder the progress of the country."

"Dams are essential for the country and I will not back off from their construction," he stressed. "I will foil every conspiracy," he asserted. Vawda further said, "The entire process of awarding the contract was based on merit. If anyone wants to investigate the process, then they can go ahead."

Reiterating that he "will not back off from the construction of the dam at any cost", the

minister for water said, "We are not those who work for commission. We are not even those who buy Avenfield apartments or make sugar mills while sitting at home.”

On Tuesday night, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mian Javed Latif expressed reservations over the bid. Speaking on Geo News programme Apas Ki Baat, the PML-N leader asked, “On what basis was this contract awarded? Is this not corruption?”

The PPP had also demanded that the contract be cancelled. PPP leader Farhatullah Babar had questioned whether other companies were rejected from participating in bid to favour a special company. Abdul Razak Dawood issued a clarification on this and said that he had resigned from all posts in his companies before becoming a part of the cabinet. “There is no clash of interest in the Mohmand Dam contract award. I had filed the tender for the bid before I was appointed the PM’s aide” he added.