ISLAMABAD: Just as the legacy of costly flaws continues to haunt the main Islamabad High Court building, a new controversy has erupted over the construction of its Legal Facilitation Centre, with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) demanding a third-party forensic audit of the multi-billion-rupee project.
The development has revived memories of the judges’ displeasure over the shoddy construction of the main IHC building, which cost over Rs11 billion and came under severe criticism for faulty elevators, an inefficient cooling system, and substandard work.
According to official documents and a contempt application filed before the IHC, serious concerns have arisen regarding the execution of the Legal Facilitation Centre project at Constitution Avenue.
The recent application, filed by the CDA in this particular matter, seeks the appointment of an independent technical auditor, preferably the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NesPak), to verify executed works, measurements and excess quantities.
Development revives memories of judges’ displeasure over the shoddy construction of main IHC building
The project, initially entrusted to the Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak PWD), was transferred to the CDA following a Federal Cabinet decision in August 2024. The original agreement cost for the facilitation centre was Rs1.446 billion, which has now ballooned to over Rs2.07 billion after approvals for variations.
However, the CDA has expressed apprehension that pending formal approval of excess quantity statements, amounting to Rs492 million, is stalled, with the contractor’s running bill of Rs313 million already submitted.
The documents reveal a troubling pattern similar to the main IHC building, which was plagued by project mismanagement.
According to an Auditor General of Pakistan report on the main building, its cost rose to Rs5 billion, with Rs1 billion paid without a detailed measurement book, and the revised building plan was never approved by the CDA.
Sources indicate that the facilitation centre’s contractor, M/s City Traders, which had faced scrutiny earlier over allegedly bogus credentials, has exceeded the original Bill of Quantities, raising red flags about transparency and financial regularity.
The CDA, which has been tasked with completing the project following Pak PWD’s lethargy, has pleaded before the court that “certain actions of the contractor as well as the Pak PWD, particularly in relation to excess quantities and pending approvals, have given rise to doubts requiring an independent and impartial verification before any further financial commitments are undertaken”.
With the total cost now exceeding Rs2.9 billion and a revised completion date set for December 2026, the CDA has sought the court’s intervention to safeguard public funds and prevent future litigation.
The court is expected to take up the matter, which has the potential to expose yet another layer of “malfeasance in public works”. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who has been vocal about the substandard construction of the main IHC building and previously recommended action by NAB and FIA.
Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026