SC orders completion of Lahore Metro Train project by May 20

10m Rupees guarantees three construction firms have been told to submit to court

islamabad — The Supreme Court on Friday expressed annoyance over a delay in the Orange Line Metro Train project and directed the construction companies to complete work by May 20.

A division bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, heard the case.

During the course of proceedings, Justice Gulzar Ahmed directed all the three construction companies to submit Rs10 million guarantees each and warned them that the guarantee amount would be forfeited if the project is not finished by May 20.

Justice Gulzar expressed concern over performance of project director Fazal Haleem and remarked that due to him the work has been delayed.

The project director was apparently being blackmailed by construction companies which is why the work had been delayed, the court added.

The court said that Justice (retired) Jamshed or Justice Abdul Sattar Asghar should be made the head of the technical committee.

The bench remarked that the Punjab government should consider if the current technical committee head Justice (retired) Zahid Hussain wanted to continue work.

Justice Ahsan observed that it is a public interest project and huge funds have been used for it.

The court remarked that if the contractors do not work, they should be fired or put in prison.

Justice Gulzar remarked that all three construction companies will give a guarantee of Rs1 billion and it will be confiscated if work is not completed by the scheduled date.

Advocate Naeem Bukhari, counsel for the construction companies, said his clients could not give guarantees of Rs1 billion. He said his clients had already given Rs2 billion guarantees.

Bokhari said his clients’ dues worth Rs1.5 billion had been pending.

Justice Gulzar asked if there is any mechanism to check the quality of work. The project director informed the court that their consultants were supervising the construction work.

The hearing was then adjourned for two weeks. —