ISLAMABAD: Already three-fourth constructed, work on Islamabad’s new airport, being built near Fatehjang since 2007, will be finished in another year - but without its control tower.

Secretary Aviation Muhammad Ali Gardezi broke the good-bad news to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Friday.

“We are under litigation with the Chinese firm which is to construct the tower. Hopefully the matter will be resolved soon,” he explained to the committee during a briefing where officials working at the site gave details of the 76 per cent of construction finished so far.

Rs60 billion had been spent on the new Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the project site recently, according to MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry who accompanied the prime minister.

His colleagues in the committee, however, were disturbed by what they heard in the briefing on Friday.

Committee chairman Rana Mohammad Hayat Khan interrupted when acting project director (retired) Air Vice Marshal Riazul Haq said the contract of the Chinese construction company Beixin Xinging was terminated because it did not proceed with the work schedule.

“Even if 90 per cent of work is finished, how can we say that the construction work is complete if control tower is not there?” Rana Hayat asked. “It is strange that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) believes the construction work will be over in second half of 2015.”

However, Mr Haq continued with his presentation saying that even one year after getting the contract the Chinese firm Beixin Xinging had nothing to show on the ground. “When we terminated their contract in September 2013, they went to the court and the matter is still there. Neither can we comment on court matters nor bring in any other firm to start the work,” he said.

When Dawn approached the firm’s lawyer Hassan Aurangzeb for comments, he rubbished the statements and accused the CAA of unethical behaviour.

“They (CAA) have been unfair to us. All BBIA contractors are behind schedule. Why only our contract was terminated when my client has completed 80 per cent of civil works and 46 per cent of electrical and mechanical works on the control tower,” the lawyer said.

“If the Islamabad High Court rules against my client, we will appeal against it,” he said, indicating that completion of the control tower would remain in limbo during the litigation.

Beside that, the additions in the project, ordered by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his visit to the new airport site, would delay the completion by at least six month. “These additions require redesigning and amendments in the construction contract,” said retired AVM Riazul Haq.

Members of the National Assembly committee also pointed to several flaws in the project at Friday’s briefing. “They have two runways – but both cannot be used the same time because they are dangerously close to each other,” noted MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

The committee members were amazed to learn that construction workers reach the site through a path established illegally by pulling down the fence of the motorway.

“National Highway Authority is responsible to make roads leading to the airport and we are not aware of the progress on their part,” explained Secretary Aviation Mr Gardezi.

Published in Dawn, September 27th , 2014