ISLAMABAD, July 2: A financial scandal involving millions of rupees has been detected in the National Highway Authority. According to the auditor general’s report for 2000-01, which was discussed in a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee here Monday, the NHA caused a loss of Rs35.778 million to the national exchequer by making payment to a contractor in foreign currency instead of Pakistani rupees.

Officials of the communication ministry and the NHA were given a tough time when PAC members sought explanation for this extra payment.

Communications Secretary Tariq Mehmood and NHA Chairman Maj Gen Imtiaz Ahmad informed the PAC that a committee of experts, headed by NHA member Altaf Chaudhary, had been formed and its findings were awaited.

But PAC members Sardar Ashiq Gopang and Riaz Fatiana raised objections over the nomination of Altaf Chaudhary as head of the committee on the ground that he had been the director of the same project in which the scandal had been discovered.

The NHA officials tried to confuse and push the issue under the carpet but on the insistence of Mr Gopang, they promised to hold a proper inquiry.