ISLAMABAD: A Senate committee demanded a forensic audit of the delayed and structurally flawed Parliament Lodges’ construction to fix accountability and ensure quality in public works.
The Senate House Committee met in the Parliament House here on Thursday to review key matters relating to Parliament Lodges.
Chairman Senate House Senator Syedaal Khan chaired the meeting. Members of the committee showed serious concern over quality of work and delay in the construction of the new Parliament lodges.
The chairman of the committee proposed that an independent forensic audit of both the existing Parliament Lodges and the construction of the new 104 lodges be conducted by a professional consultancy firm headed by Syed Shabbar Zaidi.
Senator Kamil Ali Agha strongly supported the proposal, describing the firm as highly professional.
The committee unanimously recommended engaging the firm for carrying out the forensic audit to ensure transparency, accountability, and quality assurance in the execution of the works. CDA officials informed the committee that the Auditor General of Pakistan has already initiated an external forensic audit of the repair and maintenance works, and the report is awaited.
The committee expressed serious concern over the absence of senior representatives from the concerned ministries and CDA.
The matter was taken seriously by the Committee. The inspection committee presented its findings on the construction of the 104 new lodges.
According to the findings Senator Kamil Ali Agha informed the committee that, despite claims of substantial progress, only around 20 percent of the project was found to be functionally complete during the visit.
Responding to the observations, the Member Engineering, CDA, informed the Committee that the grey structure had been completed while finishing works were in progress. He stated that imported lifts are yet to be installed and furniture has already been ordered.
He further informed the Committee that an architect has been engaged to prepare a model lodge for the renovation of the existing Parliament Lodges, where electrical and allied systems will also be upgraded.
The CDA director informed the committee that funds for the first quarter had been released and tendering would commence shortly, with work expected to begin in the first week of September 2026.
The Chief Planning Officer, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, informed the Committee that the total cost of the 104 New Parliament Lodges Project stands at Rs. 7.1 billion, of which Rs. 3.5 billion has already been utilized, while Rs1.1 billion has been allocated during the current financial year.
The Committee reiterated its commitment to ensuring timely completion of the project, maintaining the highest construction standards, and safeguarding public funds through effective parliamentary oversight.
The meeting was attended by Senator Danesh Kumar, Senator Hidayatullah Khan, Senator Jan Muhammad, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, and Senator Naseema Ehsan, along with senior officials from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, and the Senate Secretariat.
Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2026