Contract given to Maqbool Associates

ISLAMABAD - The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has finally decided to award the contract for the construction of eagerly awaited Zero Point Interchange to a Karachi-based construction firm, Maqbool Associates.
The decision was made at a high-level meeting held here on Tuesday. The CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari chaired the meeting. The CDA Member (Engineering), Moin-ud-Din Kakakhel, Member (Planning), Raja Nosherwan, Member (Finance), Kamran Ali Qureshi besides other high officials of the Authority also attended the meeting.
Maqbool Associates appeared to be the lowest bidder among four of the five short-listed construction firms whose tenders were opened last month. The firm, which had initially bid over 77 percent above the estimated cost for schedule items and over 48 percent above the estimated cost for the non-scheduled items, has reduced both the costs to 72 percent and 43 percent respectively, informed an official of the Authority. The project would cost a total of Rs 2.33 billion, the official maintained.
It is pertinent to mention here that all the four construction firms had bid higher than the estimated cost of the project. Maqbool Associates, the lowest bidder, had bid 77 percent high while the highest bidder, Sachal, had bid 166 percent above the estimated cost.
The CDA official further said that a high-level committee constituted by the CDA Chairman had visited the projects executed by Maqbool Associates in Karachi and Hyderabad and had decided to award the project to the firm after thorough consultations. He assured that the firm would start construction activities at the site within fifteen days.