Anti-corruption probe targets Autobahn LED tender

The eye-catching LED advertising screens installed along the median of Hyderabad's newly widened Autobahn Road have come under scrutiny from the Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE).

The Rs3.2 billion flagship project, whose 2.2-kilometre section was recently inaugurated by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, features bright LED panels mounted on electricity poles in the centre of the road.

Acting on a complaint filed by Pakistan Youth Committee Chairman Kashis Hussain Shah, ACE Hyderabad Zone has initiated an inquiry into the advertisement contract. In a formal letter, Enquiry Officer Agha Hussain has directed Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC)'s Municipal Commissioner Zahoor Lakhan to send the Director Tax and relevant records to the ACE office on September 30.

ACE has requested the complete record of the installed LED screens in the greenbelt of Autobahn Road, questioning the transparency of the tendering process.

According to Shah, the advertising tender should have fetched at least Rs200 million, but was awarded for only Rs30 million. He claims to have previously written to the HMC seeking details but received no response, prompting him to approach ACE.

Shah has also urged authorities to investigate the installation of large hoardings atop old and structurally weak buildings, allegedly without required approvals from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) or proper No Objection Certificates (NOCs).

Taking note of his complaint, ACE has expanded its probe to include all advertisement tenders awarded between 2021 and 2025.

The Autobahn Road is a rapidly developing commercial artery. Its upgraded stretch connects Hussainabad intersection (Giddu Chowk) to Hala Naka, passing through key landmarks including Fateh Chowk, Ghagra Mori, the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas Road bridge, and the new vegetable market.