The federal government has removed National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Sherheryar Sultan after an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Rs 170 billion Carec Tranche-III road project. The decision was made after the inquiry report was submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as reported by DAWN.
According to official notifications, Omar Saeed Chaudhri, Member Administration at NHA, has also been sent back to his parent department, the Ministry of Defence.
NHA officials said the decision came as a surprise and caught everyone off guard, as the chairman worked until late evening before the announcement.
What Triggered The Inquiry?
The Prime Minister had ordered an inquiry into the NHA’s handling of the Carec Tranche-III project, including:
- Contractor blacklisting practices
- Transparency during technical bid openings
- Delays in awarding contracts
- Grievance redressal mechanisms
These included issues such as manipulated bids, favoritism in contractor selection, non-transparent technical evaluations, and project delays.
The Carec Tranche-III project, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), covers four highway sections from Rajanpur to Dera Ismail Khan, spanning more than 330 kilometers.
The inquiry follows earlier concerns raised by the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, which alleged that certain bids were “technically invalid” and possibly manipulated to benefit specific contractors.
What’s Next
Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office stated that the sealed report from the inquiry committee is under review, and further action is expected to be announced soon.
Earlier, eight NHA officials had already been suspended over the same project, which remains under scrutiny in several Senate and National Assembly committees.
What Is Carec Tranche-III?
The Carec program, backed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), funds infrastructure projects that connect Pakistan with Central Asia.
Tranche-III is the third phase of road upgrades on the Indus Highway (N-55), aimed at improving trade links between southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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