The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday reviewed audit objections for 2024-25 related to the Ministry of Communications, including the surrender of more than Rs9 billion in grants and delays in major road projects.
The meeting, chaired by Acting PAC Chairperson Shahida Akhtar Ali, took up the lapse of more than Rs120 million and the surrender of grants worth over Rs9 billion.
According to audit documents, Rs5.690 billion allocated for the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project was surrendered because the procurement process could not be finalised.
During the meeting, Syed Aminul Haq raised questions regarding the M-6 and M-9 motorways.
The communications secretary said the first 16 kilometres of M-10 fall within the city.
Syed Hussain Tariq referred to an earlier embezzlement case involving M-6 funds and asked whether the money had been recovered.
Officials told the committee that some of the money had been recovered and several people had been arrested. They said the Sindh government had extended significant support in the matter.
Shahida Akhtar Ali said the funds could have been utilised if proper monitoring had been carried out.
Senator Bilal Mandokhel asked how many times the M-9 motorway had been repaired, while the acting PAC chairperson questioned whether the Frontier Works Organisation was carrying out its maintenance.
The committee also reviewed the non-completion of work worth Rs4 billion on the Jaglot-Skardu Road.
Audit officials said the project was scheduled to be completed in 2025 but remained unfinished.
The communications secretary told the committee that 70% of the work had been completed and the project was expected to be finished by December 2026.
He said the road was repeatedly damaged by landslides at 16 locations and that four bridges had completely collapsed over the past two years because of sliding.
Shahida Akhtar Ali said that if such problems were affecting the project, the authorities should seek additional time so that rules were not violated.
Reporter: Usman Khan