ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, under the leadership of Senator Saifullah Abro, has brought to light significant instances of fraud, corruption, and irregularities amounting to billions of rupees in the tendering and contracting processes of the National Highway Authority (NHA). The findings were disclosed during a meeting held at the Parliament House, attended by several committee members and key officials from related departments.
Senator Abro highlighted a concerning case involving a Chinese company initially awarded a Rs 6.86 billion contract for the Lodhran – Multan project in 2021. Despite completing only 8% of the work, the company received payments of around Rs 2 billion before its contract was terminated. Surprisingly, the same company was awarded a new contract worth Rs 172 billion for the CAREC Tranche – III project in 2024. Senator Abro questioned the legality of the tendering process, referring to it as “ghost tendering.”
The committee expressed frustration over the NHA’s failure to provide bidding documents despite repeated requests. Senator Abro warned that a former NHA member might be deliberately withholding documents, suggesting potential involvement of the entire NHA team if investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
During the meeting, Senator Kamran Murtaza demanded a detailed report on judicial proceedings related to the matter, noting that an advisor to the disqualified company had been appointed as an arbitrator, ruling against the NHA. Senator Abro urged NHA officials to acknowledge and address the corruption, emphasizing the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs’ responsibility to take corrective action.
Further discussions revealed that a commission ranging from 20% to 22% is reportedly being paid on projects funded by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in various provinces. Senator Abro called for immediate transparency in loan utilization and project completion.
The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) reported receiving a complaint against a successful bidder, with the hearing revealing irregularities in the tender process for CAREC Tranche-III, leading to its suspension. Senator Abro instructed the Economic Affairs Division to seek details from the Federal Board of Revenue regarding the arbitrator and the qualified company’s bank statements.
The committee directed the suspension of the tendering process until a complete bid evaluation report was submitted. It also recommended that the Economic Affairs Division write to the Asian Development Bank to highlight the NHA’s lapses and urged future accountability measures for non-performing departments.
Concerns over incomplete projects, such as the N-45 Section-l (Chakdara – Timergara), were raised, with committee members questioning the excessive tolls and fines on national highways. The committee called for urgent action to curb illegalities, ensure transparency in international loans, and safeguard national resources.