LAHORE, Dec 10: The process of awarding a contract for power transmission from Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project to a Chinese company has been assailed before the Supreme Court.

Watan Party challenged a “Letter of Acceptance” given to M/s China Gezhouba Company to award the contract for being in violation of Public Procurement Rules.

In a petition filed at the SC’s Lahore registry, the petitioner, through its counsel Barrister Zafarullah Khan, stated that an Iranian company -- M/s Surin – and not the Chinese company being awarded the contract was the lowest bidder for the project.

The petitioner said the National Transmission and Distribution Company (NTDC) also changed financial terms of the project to accommodate the Chinese firm and allowed it to change its bid after its opening.

It prayed to the court that the letter of acceptance given to the respondent company be declare illegal and cancelled.

It also sought court directions for the federal government and the NTDC to scrap the project tender and hold the bidding afresh strictly in accordance with law.