PTI seeks PAC huddle on NHA's 'corruption in awarding contracts for CPEC projects'

Arif Alvi writes letter to Khursheed Shah drawing his attention to a report on violations of procurement rules

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PIT) has sought an urgent meeting of the Public Accounts Committee on the National Highway Authority's (NHA) "corruption worth billions" while awarding contracts for projects launched under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

PTI MNA Arif Alvi, who is also a PAC member, wrote a letter to Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah, the committee's chairman, on Wednesday drawing his attention to a media report according to which the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) had found irregularities worth Rs470 billion in the awarding of many road projects by the NHA, including some initiated under CPEC.



As per the media report, the AGP found 52 cases in NHA’s accounts for the year 2016-17 where "irregular awarding of contracts, violations of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules and unauthorised expenditures were observed".

The report also mentioned that the auditors had found "something fishy in the award of a Rs294.352 billion contract for the Sukkur-Multan section of the motorway, awarded to the China State Construction Engineering Corporation".

Its cost was "estimated by the CSCEC at Rs240.158 billion but was awarded to the same firm at higher rates".

Alvi requested Shah to urgently call a meeting of the committee on the issue as gross violations leading to massive corruption... actually 'plunder', is evident in these transactions."