Commission set up to fix responsibility for NJHP failures: Ahsan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a commission, headed by a former judge, to ascertain the facts with regard to non-operation of Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP) despite massive cost overruns exceeding Rs500 billion. The latest commission is mandated to hold people involved in this alleged mega scam accountable.

The minister for planning cut a cake to celebrate the record utilisation of Rs1,046 billion development funds out of the revised allocated amount of Rs1,100 billion for the last fiscal year ending on June 30, 2025.

However, it was ironic that the utilisation of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) on account of rupee component and foreign exchange stood at Rs593 billion in 11 months, and in the last month, the utilisation of funds went up to Rs1.046 trillion against the allocated amount of Rs1.1 trillion.

Out of the original allocation of Rs1.4 trillion, the PSDP was slashed down to Rs1.1 trillion with the hopes that the utilisation of development funds might not cross Rs650 to Rs700 billion.

“The fiscal balance will not breach limits agreed with the IMF with the escalated utilisation of PSDP funding. The PSDP went up to Rs1,046 billion mainly because of increased foreign exchange component that led to increase in the spending from Rs905 billion to Rs1,046 billion for the last fiscal year,” Ahsan Iqbal stated while addressing a news conference along with Secretary Planning Awais Manzoor Sumra here.

To a query regarding increased utilisation of development funds in Sindh, the minister said the development funds in all major ministries were utilised fully and cited the examples of Ministry of Water, HEC, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, and others, but did not reply to the question on Sindh. On the SDGs Achievement Programme (SAP) for Parliamentarians, he said that against the allocated amount of Rs75 billion, the utilisation stood at Rs62 billion for the last fiscal year.

On NJHP, he said that two committees were formed, one was under his chairmanship and the other was led by Shahid Khan, but later on these two committees were merged and they submitted the report to the premier. Now the premier constituted a judicial commission with the mandate to fix the responsibility and initiate proceedings against those who were responsible for any negligence.

The minister noted that first time ever Rs1,046 billion (96 per cent) of the PSDP had been utilised, reflecting strong implementation.

On the development front, Ahsan Iqbal shared that 33 projects were approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in June 2025, while 19 major projects were recommended to ECNEC. These initiatives are expected to create approximately 9,968 direct and 47,174 indirect jobs in the coming months.

“In the month of June, 33 development projects were approved through the Central Development Working Party,” said Ahsan Iqbal. “Due to improved scrutiny and evaluation of projects, Rs1 billion in savings was achieved during June,” he added.

For the fiscal year, top priority has been given to development projects in Balochistan, with Rs210 billion allocated for 147 initiatives, said Ahsan Iqbal. Focus sectors include roads, water, housing, and education, with key projects like the Karachi–Quetta–Chaman Highway, M-8 Motorway, and post-flood reconstruction initiatives, he added.