Islamabad
Airport outsourced amid allegations of favoritism
The government of Pakistan has reportedly outsourced Islamabad International Airport to a preferred foreign consortium, prompting allegations of favoritism after excluding a competitive bidder. This decision marks the first instance of airport privatization under the IMF’s new $7 billion loan program.
Danish Janjua, a representative of
the sidelined consortium, claims they were unjustly excluded from the bidding
process. He alleges that they were misled about the submission timeline, being
told that the bidding period had closed just five minutes after the deadline.
The consortium had invested Rs1.5 billion to qualify and spent months preparing
their bid.
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In response, the group has filed a
formal complaint with the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA), citing significant
procedural irregularities and a lack of transparency. They argue that these
actions violate procurement guidelines and compromise fair competition.
Additionally, the consortium is
pursuing legal action to contest their exclusion, alleging malicious intent
behind the delay and raising questions about the integrity of the bidding
process.
Source: https://dailyausaf.com/