LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday directed the Punjab Planning and Development Department to submit complete record of the contracts awarded to private companies in mega projects in the province during the last ten years.

A three-judge bench headed by the chief justice was hearing a suo motu case regarding award of all the contracts to a bunch of same companies. Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan were the other members of the bench.

An officer from the Planning and Development Department and representatives/counsel for Habib Construction Services, Zahir Khan Brothers (ZKB), Maqbool Construction, MAAK Sons, Reliable Engineering Services and Sarwar and Co were present in the court.

The chief justice observed that there were serious complaints that all the contracts of mega projects had been awarded to these companies.

“One can find these companies in every project initiated by the Punjab government,” he added.

The P&D officer told the bench that contracts of Rs70 billion had been awarded to ZKB, Rs68 billion to Habib Construction, Rs14 billion to Maqbool Construction and Rs4 billion to MAAK Sons.

The chief justice directed the department to furnish within three weeks details of all the contracts right from advertisement to the bidding process.

Lawyers of the companies urged the court to also direct the department to present details of all companies which participated in the bidding process. They further asked the court to summon record of the contracts awarded to the National Logistic Cell (NLC).

Justice Ahsan told the companies’ representatives that they should not be worried if they did nothing wrong.

“Culprits will be taken to task and heroes will be lauded,” the judge added.

PTI MPA: Chief Justice Saqib Nisar directed the inspector general of Punjab police to hold an independent investigation into an incident of alleged aerial firing and torture of policemen by PTI MPA-elect Malik Nadeem Abbas Bara and his supporters.

A law officer told the chief justice that most of the suspects, including the MPA, had been arrested and remanded in police custody.

At this, the chief justice disposed of a suo motu notice taken against the firing and torture incident.

According to police, MPA Bara, his brothers and supporters allegedly carried out massive aerial firing in their area. When the officials from Hanjarwal police station reached the scene, the suspects attacked them with clubs and caused critical injuries. Bara was elected to the assembly from PP-161, Lahore.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2018