SC extends stay on awarding contract for work on Dasu project

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday extended the stay on finalisation of bidding evaluation process for awarding contract to start civil work for the construction of Stage-I of the Dasu Hydropower Project. The court ruled the matter would be taken up by a three-judge bench on August 18.

Former Attorney General for Pakistan Salman Aslam Butt had filed an appeal on behalf of M/s Power Construction Corporation of China Limited before the Supreme Court against the decision of a Division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) in the matter.

His client had invoked the LHC jurisdiction against the Wapda’s decision to oust M/s Power Construction Corporation of China from the bidding process for awarding the contract, however, the single bench turned down the plea. To this, the corporation filed an Intra Court Appeal (ICA) before the LHC Division Bench which also rejected the appeal.

Earlier, on July 14, 2016, the Supreme Court had granted stay order in the matter while Shezada Mazhar, counsel for Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), assured the court that his client will not finalise the bidding evaluation process about awarding contract for construction of Dasu Dam main civil works of Stage-I of the project till final adjudication of the appeal in hand.

On Wednesday, the hearing started by a two-member bench led by the Chief Justice (CJ) Anwar Zaheer Jamali. At the outset, the CJ observed that previously a three-judge bench had passed an order in the current matter. He said that as one of the members of the bench was not available at the moment, so the case would be re-listed.

The Wapada counsel, Shezada Mazhar, requested the court to vacate the stay order in the matter on the ground of urgency, however, Salman Aslam Butt said that there is no urgency; only four percent civil work of the Dam has been completed so far.

Meanwhile, the court accepted the plea of Salman Aslam Butt in the matter and extended its stay on finalisation of bidding evaluation process for awarding contract to start civil works for construction of Stage-I of the Dasu Hydropower Project till August 18.