Islamabad, January 1, 2026: The Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications held a meeting at Parliament House today under the chairmanship of Senator Kamil Ali Agha to review the CAREC Tranche-III Project (Rajanpur–D.G. Khan–D.I. Khan) and associated procurement proceedings.
The meeting was attended by Senators Zameer Hussain Ghumro, Saifullah Abro, senior officials from the Ministry of Communications and the National Highway Authority (NHA), as well as representatives from NESPAK and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
During the session, the sub-committee conducted a detailed review of the project proposal, tendering process, bidding documents—both technical and financial—from all participating firms, and related records, including inputs from the project consultant.
Officials briefed the committee that the procurement proceedings are currently under examination by multiple forums, including the Prime Minister’s Inquiry Committee (awaiting response), PPRA, Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on Communications and EAD, and NAB Multan. Additionally, M/s NXCC (JV) has filed writ petitions before the Islamabad High Court.
The sub-committee expressed concern that ongoing delays and pending inquiries could jeopardize the entire loan, potentially causing significant losses to the national exchequer. It was noted that the Prime Minister’s Inquiry Committee had finalized its report and submitted it to the Prime Minister’s Office on September 10, 2025, while a formal government response is still awaited.
Highlighting the strategic importance of multilateral donors such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and CAREC for Pakistan’s infrastructure development, the committee stressed that withdrawal of the loan would harm national interests. Members also noted that non-compliance with recommendations from parliamentary forums could undermine the credibility of the legislature.
The sub-committee welcomed the Prime Minister’s directive to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to initiate an inquiry against officers named in the report.
As a practical way forward, the sub-committee directed the NHA Chief Executive Officer to furnish a comprehensive report on the issue, aiming to ensure timely resolution and safeguard Pakistan’s interests in the CAREC Tranche-III project.
