Disqualified Chinese Firm Secures Rs172 Billion Project in NHA Corruption Twist

Pakistan’s infrastructure woes have taken a scandalous turn as a disqualified firm at the heart of past failures was astonishingly awarded a new Rs172 billion contract, raising fresh alarms over NHA corruption and ghost tendering.

The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs revealed that a Chinese company, previously terminated and disqualified by the National Highway Authority (NHA), managed to secure a colossal Rs172 billion contract for the CAREC Tranche-III project.

This firm was originally awarded the Lodhran – Multan road project worth Rs6.86 billion in 2021 but completed only 8% of the work before being paid nearly Rs2 billion. Despite this blatant non-performance, the same company was astonishingly qualified for the new CAREC Tranche-III project in 2024.

Senator Saifullah Abro termed this “ghost tendering,” questioning how a company with such a damning track record could be reselected. “How does a firm that was terminated and declared a non-performer get another massive contract? This exposes the depth of NHA corruption,” he said.

Further complicating matters, the committee discovered that the company’s local partner had claimed sole responsibility for project execution, stating the main contractor only charged 3% as a service fee. This contradictory stance raised serious legal and procedural red flags.

The committee has now recommended that the Economic Affairs Division urgently write to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to highlight these serious lapses, ensuring international lenders are made aware of the questionable practices engulfing the NHA.

Amid this explosive NHA corruption saga, Senators have demanded immediate suspension of ongoing tender processes and a thorough investigation to safeguard billions in taxpayer and donor money.