Motorcyclist’s death: Metro bus construction firm put on notice

Inquiry report faults firm for not adopting safety measures

ISLAMABAD: A local court on Saturday issued notice to a Turkish construction firm over death of a motorcyclist allegedly due to lack of precautionary measures on part of the firm during the construction of Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro bus project.

Moazzam Ali Khan, a 40-year-old Pakistani-Korean, fell in a deep ditch dug up by Limak-Reliable JV, the construction firm, at the Parade Avenue and died on June 29, 2014.

An inquiry, conducted by Assistant Commissioner (City) Kamran Cheema into the accident, found the construction firm at fault. It said the accident occurred due to lack of safety measures.

Victim’s father Gulfam Khan filed a damages suit against the construction firm in July 2014 saying there was no signboard, reflecting tape or any other precautionary measure to warn the road users against the danger. The case is still pending as the contractor never appeared before the court.

Senior civil judge Ihtasham Alam Khan resumed hearing into the case on Saturday but neither contractor nor any of his representatives showed up. The court issued notice to the contractor and put off the hearing till March 26.

The court bailiff found the company’s office closed as it had moved to some other location after the project’s completion.

Rawalpindi Development Authority, which had awarded contract to the firm, said it was unaware of the whereabouts of the construction firm.

Limak-Reliable JV had secured the contract to build metro bus track between Shaheed-e-Millat Road and Pak Secretariat.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2016.