A recent audit of the National Highway Authority (NHA) has unearthed corruption worth Rs18.9 billion in three motorway projects completed during the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government.
According to a private media outlet, a report by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has revealed the irregularities in the Karachi-Lahore, Sukkur-Multan and Havelian-Thakot motorways.
Irregularities of over Rs7.31 billion were discovered in Lahore’s Abdul Hakeem section of the Karachi-Lahore Motorway, Rs4.9 billion in the Sukkur-Multan section, while those worth Rs6.7 billion were unearthed in the Havelian-Thakot section.
The report mentions that the contractors reduced the scope of work, however, the cost was not revised. It added that the contractors did not return the extra amount to the NHA.
The AGP also mentioned that the first notification about the problem was sent to NHA in September last year. Responding to the report, NHA spokesperson Mushtaq Ahmed said that any excess payment made during the projects will be recovered.
