NHA reveals contract details from Asad Mahmood’s tenure, flags alleged irregularities involving firms linked to G-6 house owner

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has released certified records of several major highway development contracts awarded during

ISLAMABAD:  The National Highway Authority (NHA) has released certified records of several major highway development contracts awarded during the tenure of former Federal Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mahmood, who held the portfolio from April 2022 to August 2023. The authority has flagged alleged procurement irregularities and questioned the circumstances surrounding the award of four contracts worth billions of rupees.

According to an official letter bearing reference number NHA/P&CA/EB-Audit/2022-23/1409, dated November 6, 2026, the NHA’s General Manager (Procurement and Contract Administration) at its headquarters in Islamabad forwarded the relevant contractual records to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and Secretary Ministry of Communications.

The correspondence contains extracts from Bidding Evaluation Reports (BERs) and Contract Award Sheets approved during the 371st to 384th meetings of the NHA Executive Board. Four contracts have specifically been identified for scrutiny.

Four Major Highway Contracts Under Investigation

The contracts highlighted in the document include:

1. N-55 D.I. Khan Section: Awarded to Amanullah Khan & Co. against an estimated cost of Rs4.10 billion, with the final award reaching Rs4.85 billion.
2. N-50 Zhob-D.I. Khan Project: Awarded to Umer Jan & Company. The estimated cost was Rs6.20 billion, while the contract was approved at Rs7.15 billion.
3. Peshawar-Torkham Link: Awarded to Manzoor Afridi JV against an engineering estimate of Rs3.40 billion, with an awarded value of Rs3.98 billion.
4. Paharpur-Indus Bypass: Awarded to Amanullah & Umer Jan JV. The estimated cost stood at Rs2.75 billion, while the final award amounted to Rs3.30 billion.

Procurement Procedures and Financial Approvals Questioned

The NHA’s Procurement and Contract Administration Wing has identified several alleged violations in the process through which these contracts were evaluated and awarded.

According to the letter, one major concern involves alleged relaxations and waivers under PPRA Rule 35, which reportedly allowed the authorities to bypass the lowest-evaluated bidders and provide technical concessions benefiting three contractors.

The document also questions the approval of bids substantially exceeding the original engineering estimates without initiating the required re-tendering process.

Another issue concerns the alleged release of mobilisation advances and priority Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) within just ten days of the issuance of Letters of Acceptance (LOAs). These transactions have also been included in the concerns raised by the NHA.

G-6/4 Residence and Alleged Connection With Contractors

The correspondence further refers to Capital Development Authority (CDA) records identifying Amanullah, son of Muhammad Younus, as the owner or occupant of House No. 07, Street No. 83, Sector G-6/4, Islamabad.

The letter alleges that the property was provided for the personal use of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while the Communications Ministry, headed by his son Maulana Asad Mahmood, awarded lucrative highway contracts to Amanullah Khan and his business associates, including Umer Jan and Manzoor Afridi.

The NHA has described the alleged connection as prima facie evidence warranting investigation into possible illegal gratification and benami asset holding under Sections 9(a)(ii) and 9(a)(v) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

NAB Investigation and Preservation of Records Sought

The authority has sought the transmission of certified bidding evaluation reports, Letters of Acceptance and Executive Board meeting minutes to NAB’s Combined Investigation Team within 72 hours.

It has also called for withholding pending retention money and IPC payments linked to the four contracts until the inquiry is completed. Additionally, original financial evaluation documents and bank guarantees have been ordered to be secured in the P&CA vault to prevent possible tampering.

Copies of the correspondence have also been forwarded to the Chairman NHA, Member Finance NHA, Director General FIA and Auditor General of Pakistan.

It is important to note that the allegations contained in the NHA correspondence have not yet been established by a court of law. The responses of former minister Maulana Asad Mahmood and the contractors concerned were not available at the time of filing this report.