Senate panel gives NHA 15-day deadline to submit CAREC Tranche-III project record

ISLAMABAD: Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications tasked with probing the Tranche-III (Rajanpur-DG Khan-DI Khan) section of the CAREC [Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor] project granted the National Highway Authority (NHA) 15 days to collect and submit all relevant documentation required for verification of the company awarded the project.

The sub-committee is investigating the clearance of NXCC from the Lodhran-Multan project through arbitration, despite its status as a non-performing company.

A meeting of the Senate panel was held with the convenorship of Senator Kamil Ali Agha and was attended by Senators Zamir Hussain Ghumro and Saifullah Abro.

The terms of reference include a comprehensive review of the project proposal, the complete tendering process, and the technical and financial bidding documents of all participating companies, as well as an evaluation of consultant input and related records.

During the session, Convenor Senator Kamil Agha deferred the proceedings, granting the NHA 15 days to collect and submit all relevant documentation required for verification of the company awarded the project.

Members of the sub-committee unanimously agreed that a fair and informed decision could not be made without examining the complete set of documents.

The committee also noted that a recent decision by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), which echoed similar concerns, further reinforced the committee’s direction.

The sub-committee will reconvene after the deadline to resume deliberations based on the submitted records.