ISLAMABAD:
The Senate Standing Committee on Financial Affairs on Monday raised sturdy issues over the Nationwide Freeway Authority’s (NHA) failure to current full information relating to the award of a contract for the N-55 below Tranche-III of the Central Asian Regional Financial Hall (CAREC).
The contract was awarded to a consortium led by Chinese language agency M/s Ningxia Communications Building, with native companions M/s Rustam Associates and M/s Dynamic Constructors. The deal is valued at Rs146 billion, with a margin of Rs13.2 billion.
The committee, chaired by Senator Saifullah Abbro, criticised NHA officers for withholding key paperwork regardless of repeated requests. NHA Chairman Sheheryar Sultan knowledgeable the committee that 9 paperwork had been requested, of which 5 had already been submitted, whereas the remaining 4 have been being collected from different departments.
He additionally disclosed to the committee that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had fashioned an inquiry committee headed by retired federal secretary Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmed to assessment the procurement course of. The panel additionally consists of the commerce secretary, a former NHA member, a retired Punjab Communications & Works officer, and the member infrastructure of the Planning Fee.
He mentioned that to make sure transparency, three NHA members and 5 officers had been suspended on the prime minister’s orders. Sultan urged the Senate physique to attend for the inquiry’s findings, however the request was rejected by the committee chair.
Senator Abbro reiterated his issues, claiming the contract went to a “non-performing agency” earlier disqualified from the MultanLodhran venture. “We’re not certain by the prime minister’s inquiry committee. Even when that committee clears the award, we’ll proceed with our proceedings,” he said.
The NHA chairman replied that disqualification from one venture doesn’t robotically forestall participation in one other until upheld by a authorized discussion board. Officers added that whereas the Chinese language agency had initially been disqualified, the choice was later overturned by an arbitrator appointed by the Islamabad Excessive Courtroom.
On one other matter, Sultan briefed the committee on flood damages. He mentioned your entire NHA street community remained open aside from a two-kilometre stretch on the GilgitShandur street. After clearing highways, the NHA had additionally begun restoring blocked provincial roads on the prime minister’s directives.
Individually, consortium spokesperson Imdad Ullah defended the contract whereas briefing media. He insisted it was received by way of a clear, aggressive bidding course of. He claimed firms owned by two lawmakers had misplaced within the bidding and accused the Senate committee of “interfering in an open and clear procurement course of” to impede a multi-billion-rupee venture funded by the Asian Growth Financial institution (ADB).
The NHA chairman said that disqualification from one venture doesn’t robotically forestall participation in one other until upheld by a authorized discussion board
