The Federal Constitutional Court adjourned the hearing regarding delays in the construction of the Nai Gaj Dam project until June 11, following the conclusion of arguments from both WAPDA and the project contractor.
A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court Justice Aminuddin Khan, presided over the hearing on Monday.
During the proceedings, the counsel for WAPDA contended that the initial budget for the Nai Gaj Dam project was set at Rs26 billion. He alleged that the contractor has already received an additional Rs36 billion beyond the original estimate, yet less than 50 percent of the project has been completed. The WAPDA counsel further informed the court that the Sindh High Court had previously provided a specific timeframe for the contractor to complete the work, but the construction targets were not met within the stipulated period.
Conversely, the contractor’s counsel, Masood Khan, argued that it was previously stated to the Supreme Court in 2019 that 50 percent of the project had been completed. He asserted that the Supreme Court’s own ruling had identified the lack of funding as the primary cause for the delays.
The contractor’s counsel maintained that both federal and provincial governments failed to provide the required funds, which hindered the project’s progress. He further noted that the contractor has been forced to halt work on the site since 2024 due to the continued unavailability of funds.
Following the conclusion of arguments from both sides, the court adjourned the case until June 11.
Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman is expected to present his arguments at the next hearing.