ISLAMABAD:During a meeting of the Senate Sub-Committee on Communications at Parliament House, senators threatened privilege motions and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) referrals against National Highway Authority (NHA), accusing it of corruption, defying Parliament, and awarding contracts to a blacklisted foreign firm.
Lawmakers have taken the National Highway Authority (NHA) to task in their recent meeting, accusing it of corruption, incompetence, and contempt of Parliament.
The session, chaired by Senator Kamil Ali Agha, focused on follow-up actions related to the Tranche-III (Rajanpur–D.G. Khan–D.I. Khan) section of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) project. Senators expressed anger over the absence of the NHA chairman and Secretary Communications, as well as the authority’s failure to provide updated project documents despite repeated requests.
Senator Saifullah Abro condemned the conduct of officials, demanding the removal of the secretary communications. “These officers are guilty of contempt of Parliament. If the chairman NHA does not implement the committee’s recommendations, we will take our own course of action,” he said.
Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, attending online, declared the NHA “a corrupt and failed institution,” vowing to move a privilege motion against its officers. He alleged that the authority had been planting negative stories in newspapers against the Senate and threatened to take the matter to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Prime Minister.
Lawmakers expressed particular outrage over revelations that the NHA had awarded a contract to Ninja Communication Construction (NXCC), a Chinese firm previously blacklisted. The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PEPRA) had already declared the award illegal. Despite this, NHA officials failed to provide the committee with relevant bidding and financial documents, admitting instead that the briefing papers submitted were outdated.
Senator Abro alleged that both NHA officers and contractors had attempted to pressure the committee to halt its inquiries. “Until the secretary appears before us or is removed from his position, this matter cannot move forward,” he added.
The sub-committee also expressed concern over reports that a non-performing contractor had been awarded work through arbitration despite earlier disqualification. Members highlighted that such decisions raised serious questions about transparency, procurement processes, and fiscal responsibility.
PEPRA officials informed the committee that while hearings on complaints had been held, their inquiries were obstructed by NHA’s refusal to provide essential documentation. Members underscored that incomplete and delayed submissions could not be justified under resource or administrative constraints.
In its closing directions, the committee instructed NHA officials to prepare and submit comprehensive recommendations for presentation by the NHA chairman and CEO at the next session, scheduled for September 15, 2025.
It emphasized that concluding the matter without hearing from top officials would “go against the norms of justice,” but warned that failure to cooperate would trigger tougher parliamentary measures, including potential referrals to accountability institutions.
The committee resolved to continue its oversight until a conclusive outcome is reached, with senators stressing that transparency and compliance with parliamentary directives were essential for public accountability.
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