University in AJK: Court intervenes to rectify bidding anomalies

The Saudi govt provided funds for two campuses of the university in 2006.

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) High Court has directed the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) to award a Rs5.47 billion contract to build the King Abdullah University to the lowest bidder.

The single-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Musfata Mughal, gave this ruling on a writ petition filed by a Karachi-based construction company, Paragon (Pvt) Limited, against the cancellation of their contract by Erra without assigning ‘any genuine reasons’. The company had offered the lowest bid in the tender process.

In its detailed judgment, the court rejected arguments of respondents, including the Azad Kashmir government and the project director of the Saudi fund, and directed them to complete the university within a specific time so that the donated money can be utilised and not returned to the donor.

Accepting the petitioner’s arguments, the court directed respondents, including the Azad Kashmir government and the project director and the chief engineer of the Saudi fund, to award the contract to the company. “However the project director and the chief engineer (concerned) shall ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated period. They will make sure to complete the project according to the specification,” the court’s ruling stated.

The Saudi government had provided funds for the construction of two campuses of the university in 2006. A Saudi mission visited Muzaffarabad last week to review the reconstruction work of the university and was upset to see that no work had started yet. The delegation had set a two week deadline for the start of work and is reported to have told the officials to return the funds if work did not start by that time.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2011.