RAWALPINDI: In yet another blow to the timely reconstruction of the damaged seminary and mosque building at Raja Bazaar, the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has decided to leave the project, it has been learnt.

The exit of the FWO citing controversies involved in the project has prompted the provincial government to hire a private contractor to complete the work, said sources.

It has been learnt that the seminary clerics and the Evacuee Trust Property Board are still at loggerheads over the ownership of the land.

However, Punjab Labour Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar on Saturday laid the foundation of the complex.

The madressah along with a mosque and the Madina Market housing 130 shops was burnt during the sectarian violence on Ashura.

The provincial government announced to reconstruct the building and released Rs340 million.

It also awarded the contract to the FWO for pulling down the dilapidated structure and reconstructing it.

The FWO razed the building and was ready to reconstruct it. However, two days back the FWO informed the city government that it would not reconstruct the building.

Upon this, the Punjab government asked the Communication and Works Department to invite bids from the private contractors. According to rules, it will take 20 more days to select the contractors.

When contacted, District Coordination Officer Sajid Zafar Dall admitted that the FWO had left the project due to “some important development works in Balochistan and other parts of the country.”

He said the development had been shared with all the stakeholders, including the seminary clerics and traders.

The process for the selection of the construction company will take two weeks and the work will be started after this.

Meanwhile, the foundation-laying ceremony was held at the site in Raja Bazaar.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam leaders Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Pir Azizur Rehman Hazarvi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil, Commissioner Zahid Saeed, DCO Sajid Zafar Dall, former MNAs Malik Shakeel Awan, Hanif Abbasi and traders’ representatives attended the function.

The minister on the occasion said the government had fulfilled its promise to start the reconstruction of the building.

He directed the commissioner and the DCO to take personal interest to complete the work as soon as possible, so that traders can start their business and the seminary continue imparting religious education to the students.

He praised the religious leaders for maintaining sectarian harmony after the Ashura violence.

Maulana Ghafoor Haideri said the credit went to the people in general and traders and religious leaders in particular to convince the citizens that the sectarian issue was created by anti-Islam powers to divide the Muslim Ummah.

“Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in coordination with Maulana Fazlur Rehman controlled the situation amicably,” he said.

Rawalpindi Traders Association president Sharjeel Mir thanked the government for starting the reconstruction of the building.

He also requested the government to complete the work within a month and pay compensation to the traders so that they would start their business again.

“We have sent the assessment of losses worth Rs2.4 billion instead of the Rs9 billion and the government should provide the amount to the traders as soon as possible as they are suffering from financial crisis,” he said.