ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set up a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate alleged irregularities in the award and management of contracts related to Karachi’s Lyari Expressway project, according to a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday.
The committee, constituted to examine the affairs of the National Highway Authority (NHA), will be headed by former federal secretary Mian Mushtaq Ahmed. Other members include Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission (PMIC) chief retired Brig Muzaffar Ali Ranjha, Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul, Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal, and a representative of the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
The terms of reference (TORs) direct the committee to “examine the propriety and justification for the award of contract” for the renovation of the Lyari Expressway without a competitive bidding process and to identify officials involved in the decision-making chain.
It will also review the pricing and award of contracts for electrical works on the expressway’s renovation and determine which officers approved or processed the procurements.
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Additionally, the committee has been tasked with probing the award of contracts for toll and revenue collection at various locations, including Pattoki and Lyari Expressway, as well as Phool Nagar, Ghazi Ghat, Qutabpur, Rajanpur, Dera Ismail Khan-1, and Kohat Tunnel toll plazas and weigh stations. The inquiry will assess the “merits, integrity, and motivation” behind granting these contracts without open auction, the notification stated.
The committee is required to identify the officers involved in approving or facilitating the transactions and determine whether due process and transparency requirements were followed.
Committee to “examine the propriety and justification for the award of contract” for renovation of the Lyari Expressway. https://t.co/UVQiBQibFk
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 11, 2025
The decision follows reports suggesting procedural violations and possible financial irregularities in the NHA’s handling of the Lyari Expressway project, one of Karachi’s major infrastructure corridors linking key parts of the city.
Officials said the committee would submit its findings to the Prime Minister’s Office after completing its review within a stipulated timeframe.
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