National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Sheheryar Sultan has been removed from his post following the submission of an inquiry report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on alleged irregularities in the awarding of the Rs170 billion Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (Carec) Tranche-III project, Dawn reported.
Sultan has been directed to report to the Establishment Division, while NHA Member Administration Omar Saeed Chaudhri has been repatriated to the Ministry of Defence. The Establishment Division issued separate notifications regarding both removals.
According to the news report, an NHA spokesperson stated that the reason for Sultan’s sudden removal was unknown to the NHA and Ministry of Communications staff. “The chairman worked until 6 pm that day, and the decision came later that night, leaving everyone in the NHA stunned,” the spokesperson added.
Sultan’s removal marks a significant development in the ongoing Carec controversy, which has already led to the suspension of eight senior NHA officials over their involvement in alleged irregularities, including ghost tendering, in the awarding of the project.
On Monday, the inquiry committee, formed to investigate alleged irregularities in the Rs170 billion Carec project, submitted its findings to the prime minister.
The Carec Tranche-III project — part of an Asian Development Bank-funded initiative — includes four road sections from Rajanpur to Dera Ismail Khan, covering 330 kilometers in total. The project has been under scrutiny by multiple parliamentary committees and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) for alleged rule violations in the bidding process.
In September, the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs recommended blacklisting a joint venture of three firms for securing the contract in violation of procurement rules. It also asked the government to inform the Asian Development Bank that the bids were “technically invalid and manipulated.”
The committee was constituted in August after the suspension of eight senior National Highway Authority (NHA) officials over allegations of irregularities and ghost tendering in contract awards.
The inquiry committee, led by retired federal secretary Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmed, included officials from the commerce division, the Planning Commission, and former NHA engineers. It was tasked with examining NHA’s practices in blacklisting contractors, evaluating the transparency of its bidding process for the Carec Tranche-III project, assessing delays, and recommending reforms.
Officials said the Prime Minister’s Office would decide the next course of action after reviewing the committee’s report, which could include further disciplinary measures against NHA officials or a review of the bidding process.
