ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) is facing mounting criticism after awarding a massive Rs. 146 billion road project to a company previously disqualified from another major contract.
Key Highlights:
- Senate panel questions transparency after NHA withholds 4 of 9 requested documents on Rs. 146 billion contract.
- Rs. 146 billion mega road project has been awarded to a Chinese-led organization, despite being disqualified in another case earlier.
- PM Shehbaz Sharif forms inquiry committee; three NHA members and five officers suspended.
Senate Questions Transparency
A Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs expressed serious concern over the National Highway Authority’s (NHA) handling of a major road contract.
Senator Saifullah Abro informed the committee that the NHA had not provided all the required documents. They only gave the audit reports of Dynamic Constructors and Rustam Associates.
He said that the reports, prepared by the audit firm A.B.M & Co., showed serious problems and signs that the companies may have worked together unfairly in the ADB CAREC Tranche-III project.
The committee also noted that key documents related to the Rs 146 billion contract had not been fully shared, despite repeated requests.
Out of the nine requested documents, only five had been submitted, and the NHA stated that the remaining four were still being collected from other departments.
The project in question is part of the N-55 (Indus Highway) expansion, a vital link in the Central Asian Regional Economic Corridor (CAREC), which is expected to enhance trade flows between Pakistan and Central Asia.
Disqualified Firm Still in the Race
NHA awarded the contract to Ningxia Communications Construction, in partnership with local firms Rustam Associates and Dynamic Constructors.
The same Chinese firm had earlier been disqualified from the Multan–Lodhran road project on technical grounds.
However, NHA Chairman Sheheryar Sultan defended the move, stating that:
“The company’s earlier disqualification was overturned by a court-appointed arbitrator, clearing them for participation in subsequent projects.”
Despite the legal justification, critics argue that allowing a previously disqualified bidder to lead a mega project raises red flags about procurement safeguards in Pakistan’s infrastructure sector.
PM Forms Committee to Investigate Road Project
In response to the controversy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted an inquiry committee to examine the procurement process. The team comprises a retired federal secretary, the Commerce Secretary, a former NHA official, and other senior civil servants.
In addition, three NHA members and five officers have been suspended, according to officials, who described this as a move to ensure transparency. However, Senate committee chair Senator Saifullah Abbro rejected the NHA’s plea to wait for the inquiry findings, insisting that the panel would press ahead with its own proceedings.
What Lies Ahead
With both the Senate and the Prime Minister’s inquiry moving forward, the outcome will determine whether corruption or mismanagement occurred. The decision is expected to set an important precedent for how billion-rupee infrastructure projects are awarded in Pakistan.
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