A Senate subcommittee has strongly criticized the National Highway Authority (NHA) for awarding key infrastructure contracts to a blacklisted company and for what lawmakers described as blatant disregard for Parliament.
Chaired by Senator Kamil Ali Agha, the Subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications expressed outrage on Thursday over the absence of the Federal Minister for Communications, the Secretary, and the NHA Chairman from its session. Lawmakers termed their no-show as “contempt of Parliament.”
“This attitude is unacceptable. Where are the documents that were promised on August 12?” Senator Saifullah Abro questioned during the proceedings. Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro warned of issuing a formal contempt notice, while Chairman Agha cautioned that continued defiance would push the matter to the Privileges Committee.
The inquiry focused on irregularities in the Tranche-III Rajanpur–D.G. Khan–D.I. Khan AREC project and arbitration clearance for NXCC on the Lodhran–Multan project despite the firm’s poor performance record. NHA officials admitted that while financial statements were requested, NXCC refused to provide them.
“If NHA did not have technical and financial documents, how was the contract awarded in the first place?” Senator Ghumro asked. Senator Abro added, “This is a matter of national fate—NXCC is mocking the Government of Pakistan.”
Lawmakers also raised concerns about alleged illegal tax exemptions granted to companies, including NXCC, on the Gilgit–Shandur road project. The panel directed NHA to coordinate with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for an investigation and to seek clarification from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) regarding restrictions on its authority.
READ MORE: Lawmakers Flag Irregularities in NHA Road Project Award
The committee further criticized delays in implementing a Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) ruling, with Senator Abro noting: “No action has been taken in 24 days. This shows deliberate negligence.”
Concluding the session, the subcommittee declared NXCC’s bid “fake,” recommended strict action against the firm, and held both the Secretary Communications and the NHA Chairman accountable. Senator Agha warned, “If NHA’s hands are clean, then action must be taken—otherwise, this committee will be forced to act on its own.”
