WAPDA Says Mangla Contract Will Not Be Given To Blacklisted Firm
The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has told the Lahore High Court that no blacklisted company would be awarded the contract for Mangla Dam refurbishment project.
The legal adviser to WAPDA also denied the allegation of a petitioner that the contract was being given to a blacklisted French company in violation of rules.
Ali Javed Dogar had filed the petition through Advocate Sheraz Zaka.
Counsel for WAPDA said the petition was filed on the basis of a news report in the media.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that in light of the judgments of superior courts, newspaper reports could be admissible evidence when direct evidence was not available. He, however, gave an undertaking that the contract would not be awarded to a blacklisted company. At this, Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza disposed of the petition.
The petitioner had stated the federal government in connivance with WAPDA was awarding contract for the refurbishment of Mangla Dam to a blacklisted French company (Alstom Hydro), which was a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens as it involved taxpayer money amounting to Rs10 billion.
The petitioner said awarding of the contract to the French company was illegal in terms of Clause 59/1 of the contract. He added that the company was a subsidiary of blacklisted French company, Alstom SA, which had recently been indicted over bribery charges by a US court for $770 million fine as penalty.
The petitioner asked the court to summon details of the contract and restrain the authorities from awarding the contract to a company which was a subsidiary of a blacklisted company.
This news was previously published in DAWN and is being republished here with permission.
