The firm unable to complete the BRT Peshawar project will now construct an underpass in the provincial capital of Punjab, as the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) awarded the contract to Maqbool Associates.
According to 24NewsHD TV channel, the Maqbool Associates gave the lowest bid for the project of constructing the Firdous Market Underpass.
The initial estimated cost of the project was Rs1.09 billion; however, its bid was just over Rs970 million (Rs970,131,267). Meanwhile, the price tags of the two rival bidders NLC and Habib Construction Services were Rs1,024,976,140 and Rs996,970,984 respectively.
The Maqbool Associates had previously worked on the Lahore Metro Bus project. It is one of the two companies executing the BRT Peshawar project – a venture facing severe criticism because of its incomplete status despite the passage of two-and-half years.
According to sources, the LDA prequalified the Maqbool Associates at the very last moment, as they also said that the move was a result of political pressure.