ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary subcommittee on Friday again expressed concern over the award of contracts for Lodhran-Multan Road and CAREC Tranche-III projects to a joint venture of a local and a foreign firm.

A meeting of the subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Communication, chaired by Kamil Ali Agha and attended by Zamir Ahmed Ghumro and Saifullah Abro, voiced serious concern over the absence of senior management from the relevant departments, noting that junior officers who attended the meeting gave misleading statements.

Senator Agha sought clarification on a letter reportedly written by the National Highway Authority (NHA) to the Asian Development Bank and expressed serious reservations over awarding the Tranche-III project contract to Ningxia Communications Construction Company (NXCC).

He directed that all documents presented before the court in the case relating to NXCC be submitted to the committee. He also summoned the consultant firm hired for the CAREC Tranche-III project to provide a detailed briefing in the next meeting.

Senator Abro, while pointing out that Rustam Associates and Dynamic Constructors (RADC) is a sister company of NXCC, sought detailed information about the contract awarded to the former for rehabilitation work under the Lodhran-Multan project.

The committee decided to continue its examination of the matter and directed the NHA to ensure the presence of senior management at the next meeting for a complete and transparent briefing.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2025