Chairman Sherheryar Sultan directed to report to Establishment Division
National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Sherheryar Sultan was removed from his post on Wednesday — days after an inquiry report on alleged irregularities in the Rs170 billion Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (Carec) Tranche-III project was submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sultan has been directed to report to the Establishment Division, officials confirmed.
In a separate notification, NHA Member Administration Omar Saeed Chaudhri was repatriated to his parent department, the Ministry of Defence.
Shock move follows Carec project controversy
According to an NHA spokesperson, the removal came as a surprise to officials. “The chairman worked in the office till 6pm today, and the news of his removal came at night, shocking everyone in the organisation,” the spokesperson said.
The move is being seen as the biggest shake-up within the NHA following the Carec project controversy. Earlier, PM Shehbaz had suspended eight senior NHA officials over alleged irregularities and “ghost tendering” in the award of Carec Tranche-III contracts.
Inquiry report points to serious procedural lapses
Sources within the NHA told Dawn that Sultan’s removal was directly linked to the findings of the inquiry report. The probe committee — constituted by the Prime Minister in August — had submitted its findings in a sealed envelope to the PM’s Office earlier this week.
The inquiry was tasked with examining the NHA’s procurement process, contractor blacklisting practices, and transparency during technical bid evaluations for the Carec Tranche-III project. It also reviewed whether delays or procedural violations had occurred.
Senate and NA committees also scrutinising project
The project has drawn attention from multiple parliamentary committees, including those of the Senate and National Assembly, as well as the Public Accounts Committee. In September, the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Division recommended blacklisting a joint venture of three firms that had won the Carec contract in violation of rules.
The committee also suggested writing to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) — the project’s donor — to highlight that “bids were technically invalid and manipulated due to mala fide intentions of NHA officials and contractors.”
About the Carec Tranche-III project
Carec, an ADB-backed regional initiative launched in 1997, aims to promote economic and transport connectivity among Central Asian countries.
Tranche-III comprises four major road segments:
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Lot-1: 58 km from Rajanpur to Jampur
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Lot-2: 64 km from Jampur to Dera Ghazi Khan
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Lot-3: 112 km from D.G. Khan to Tibbi Qaisrani
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Lot-4: 96 km from Tibbi Qaisrani to D.I. Khan
