The Federal Constitutional Court was informed on Monday that the contractor working on the Gaj Dam project has received Rs. 36 billion more than the project’s original budget, despite the project remaining less than 50 percent complete.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Amin ud Din Khan heard the case regarding delays in the construction of the dam and later adjourned proceedings until June 11.
The court also directed Additional Attorney General Amir Rehman to present arguments at the next hearing.
During the proceedings, counsel representing WAPDA told the court that the project was originally launched in 2011 with an estimated cost of Rs. 26 billion. However, the contractor has allegedly received an additional Rs. 36 billion on top of the original amount, taking total payments up by 138 percent to around Rs. 62 billion.
The WAPDA lawyer argued that despite these payments, even 50 percent of the project has not been completed. He further told the court that the Sindh High Court had previously provided the contractor with a timeline to complete the project, but the deadline was not met.
The contractor’s counsel, Masood Khan, disputed the allegations and stated that the Supreme Court had been informed in 2019 that approximately 50 percent of the work had already been completed. He argued that the Supreme Court had also acknowledged in its judgment that delays in the project were primarily caused by a lack of funding.
According to the contractor’s lawyer, both the federal and provincial governments failed to provide the required funds, slowing progress on the project. He added that work on the dam has remained suspended since 2024 due to the non-availability of funds.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court adjourned the case until June 11 for further proceedings as it continues to examine responsibility for the delays and cost escalation surrounding the long-delayed Gaj Dam project.