A couple of days after an inquiry report on alleged irregularities in awarding the Rs170 billion Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (Carec) Tranche-III project was submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Sherheryar Sultan was removed and directed to report to the Establishment Division.

Member administration of NHA, Omar Saeed Chaudhri, has also been repatriated to his parent department, the Ministry of Defence.

The Establishment Division issued two separate notifications regarding the removal of the NHA chairman and the repatriation of the member to the Ministry of Defence.

When contacted, the NHA spokesman said no one in the NHA and the Ministry of Communication was aware of the reason behind the chairman’s sudden removal. “The chairman worked in the office today (Wednesday) till 6pm, and the decision came in the night that stunned all in the NHA,” he added.

The removal of the chairman is believed to be the fall of the biggest wicket in the NHA amid the Carec controversy, as before this development, PM Shehbaz had already suspended eight senior officials of the NHA for being involved in irregularities in the award of Carec Tranche III project, including ghost tendering, by the authority.

Meanwhile, a source in the NHA told Dawn that the chairman was removed mainly because of the Carec controversy.

The Carec Tranche-III project has also come under scrutiny in five standing committees of the Senate and the National Assembly and the Public

Four days ago, the inquiry committee, formed by PM Shehbaz to investigate irregularities Carec project, had submitted its report.

A source in the Prime Minister’s Office had said the findings had been submitted to the premier in a sealed envelope, who is likely to decide the fate of the probe in “a day or so”.

In August, the premier had suspended eight senior NHA officials and formed a committee to probe irregularities in the award of the contract, including ghost tendering, by the authority.

PM Shehbaz had tasked inquiry to review NHA’s current practices related to blacklisting contractors; examine whether the NHA undertook due diligence during the opening of technical bids of Carec Tranche-III project; assess whether the NHA conducted the grievance redressal in the instant process transparently and judiciously; evaluate all stages in the award of the project so far to ascertain unnecessary delays, if any; suggest a way forward on the current process; and review any other matter ancillary to the above.

In September, the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Division recommended blacklisting a joint venture of three firms, which were awarded a project by the National Highway Authority in violation of the rules.

The Senate panel meeting also recommended sending a letter to the donor, the Asian Development Bank, to apprise them that the bids were “technically invalid and were manipulated due to the mala fide intention of the NHA officials and contractors”.

Carec is an Asian Development Bank-supported initiative that was created in 1997 to encourage economic cooperation among countries in the Central Asian region.

Tranche I, II and III road projects are underway or have been completed. Tranche-III has four lots as Lot-1 (58 kilometre road from Rajanpur to Jampur), Lot-2 (64km from Jampur to DG Khan), Lot-3 (112km from DG Khan to Tibbi Qaisrani), and Lot-4 (96km from Tibbi Qaisrani to DI Khan).