PESHAWAR, July 6: The Government Contractors Association of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has expressed grave concern over alleged anomalies in grant of contracts under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted programme for different uplift projects.

The association has demanded an impartial inquiry into the wrongdoing.

Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Contractors Association general secretary Malik Riaz Khan said the JICA had extended Rs7 billion financial assistance for different development schemes executed by the communication and works department.

He said irregularities had been committed in grant of contracts, alleging the project director Sohail bin Qayyum had indulged in massive corruption, who had invited more than 104 applications for a pre-qualification on February 14, 2012.

The association’s general secretary maintained that about 70 contractors had acquired tender forms of worth Rs22 million, but the pre-qualification notice was cancelled by the project director without any valid reason, causing huge financial losses to contractors.

Mr Riaz said the rules of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) had been violated in the grant of tenders, alleging the project director had granted tenders to blue-eyed people who could not qualify for the bidding.

A person affiliated with ruling ANP, he alleged, was granted billions of rupees tenders without following any procedure.

Flanked by the association’s senior vice-president Haji Sabz Ali Khan, Zareef Shah, Haji Abid Jee, Pir Zar Shah, Eng Wasif Khan and others, Malik Riaz informed that the contractors from Punjab province had been registered with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to appease an influential person.

Speaking on the occasion, Eng Wasif Khan said the project director had issued documents to favorite people despite a stay order by the court. “We will take up the case with the financial assisting agency JICA,” he maintained. He said they would also submit a petition in court about the alleged irregularities.

The association’s general secretary Malik Riaz Khan also appealed to the chief justice of Peshawar High Court to take suo motu notice of the issue. He also demanded of the chief minister to bring the responsible officials to justice.