NA committee for blacklisting construction company

Islamabad: Expressing displeasure over the inordinate delay in construction of 104 additional family suites and servant quarters at Parliament Lodges, the National Assembly Standing Committee on House and Library has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to blacklist the contractor for carrying out any project of the National Assembly.

The committee expressed its annoyance over the absence of Managing Director of the M/s Habib Rafique from the meeting who was summoned by the committee for personal hearing in connection with construction of 104 additional family suites and servant quarters at Parliament Lodges.

Acting Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi who chaired the meeting said that the project was started in May 2011 and supposed to be completed in 2013 but due to poor performance of the construction firm, it could not be completed till date.

He said that the House and Library Committee had extended all out support to the firm for early completion of the project and issued directions to CDA to resolve if there was any hurdle in completion of the project.

He said that contractor had been provided sufficient opportunities for personal hearing but he always made lame excuses and misled the committee. He said that on the request of the construction firm the committee had extended time period for completion of project six times but the firm unilaterally terminated the contract without any reason.

He said that the committee had cooperated with the firm in all respect but the firm failed to complete the project. Resultantly the committee has unanimously recommended for blacklisting the firm for executing any project of National Assembly in future. However, the firm had approached the court and got stay order against the committee’s decision.

He said that in the light of the directions of honourable High Court the committee has given another chance to MD of M/s Habib Rafique to appear before the Committee in presence of CDA to clarify his position but he did not bother to appear before committee to clarify his position.

The committee expressed its dissatisfaction over the reply of the representative of M/s Rafique Habib who was present before the committee on behalf of the firm. The acting speaker said that the firm has failed to give any solid reason of inordinate delay and objection raised by it were of very petty nature.

He directed the National Assembly Secretariat and CDA to actively pursue the case of blacklisting of the firm for executing any project of the National Assembly in future and submit record of committee meeting in this regard before the Islamabad High Court.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Malik Abrar Ahmed, Mehboob Alam, Maulana Qamar-ud-Din, Mian Muhammad Rasheed, Sardar Mumtaz Khan, Dr. Mahreen Razaque Bhutto, CDA chairman and senior officers of CADD, CDA and National Assembly Secretariat.