ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday rejected the request of a Chinese company regarding award of a contract for Pakistan’s Dasu Hydropower Project of $7.99 Billion. The top court further ruled that reasons for dismissal were to be recorded later. The M/s Power Construction Corporation China had requested the top court for reconsideration of Dasu Hydropower Project Contracts MW-01 and MW-02, the project known as Dasu Dam. The Dasu Project comprises of four components, firstly preparatory works, secondly main works costing $2.2 billion, 90 percent of which is to be arranged by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) from commercial banks, thirdly E&M works costing $600 million, to be arranged by the Export Credit Agency (ECA) and fourthly 765 KV transmission line. However, the top court dismissed the petition after its three judge bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali heard detailed arguments. During the course of hearing, Salman Aslam Butt, representing the Chinese company, informed the bench that the World Bank (WB) was aware of all issues, adding that Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) conceded that the clash is between us and World Bank had no concerns in the matter. He further argued that all work in the project was supposed to be completed under municipal laws, adding the decisions regarding any projects are made by the federal government. M/s Power Construction Corporation of China had submitted an application for the construction of the project on May 28, 2015 to which the WAPDA submitted its report to the World Bank for evaluation of the bidders and conditionally pre-qualified the corporation along with several other bidders. However, the World Bank rejected the corporation name as a participant for pre-qualification whereupon WAPDA issued the notices to the Corporation on February 12, 2016 disqualifying it from the bidding process. M/s Power Construction Corporation of China challenged the WAPDA decision to oust the Corporation from the bidding process for awarding the contract before the Lahore High Court (LHC), which rejected the plea on the grounds that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the petition. The company then challenged the verdict of LHC in Supreme Court of Pakistan making WAPDA and the government parties to the case. After multiple hearings, the top court had asked the federal government to take up the matter with the World Bank regarding ousting Power Construction Corporation of China from awarding contract of construction of civil works of Stage-I of the Dasu Dam project. Besides, the apex court has also provided an opportunity to the corporation to approach the World Bank for disposal of the matter. However, World Bank’s Task Team Leader of Dasu Hydropower Project Masood Ahmad in his letter to the counsel of Corporation stated that the World Bank emphasises that the procurement process for the two contracts is still ongoing – the World Bank has fully examined and considered the communication. But the Bank is prohibited by the applicable procurement policy from entering into discussion or correspondence in relation to an ongoing procurement process until the Borrower’s (Government of Pakistan and WAPDA – implementing agency for the Borrower) notification of contract award.”