• NHA criticised for awarding contract to joint venture in violation of rules
• Two other projects completed by same JV also on lawmakers’ radar for ‘irregularities’

ISLAMABAD: Several parliamentary committees have raised serious concern over an international road-building project funded by the Asian Development Bank, citing alleged collusive practices and ghost tendering among other irregularities by the National Highway Authority in the award of the project.

The standing committees of the Senate and the National Assembly on Economic Affairs Division (EAD) and communications, as well as a sub-committee of the Senate’s communication panel, have reviewed the contract for the past four months. The NHA, however, did not provide documents to these committees to contest allegations against it.

The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (Carec) Tranche-III project is worth Rs170 billion and has invited parliamentary scrutiny, particularly due to its award to a firm that had been........

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