Court Takes Notice of Alleged Rs12bn Development Contract Irregularities in Larkana

By Mehmood Ali Pathan

LARKANA: Serious allegations of corruption and procedural violations have surfaced in development contracts worth over Rs12 billion in Larkana and Qambar Shahdadkot districts, prompting judicial intervention and anti-corruption scrutiny.

The controversy centers on mega Annual Development Programme (ADP) projects allegedly awarded by the Provincial Highways Division, Larkana, in violation of procurement laws and transparency rules. Despite billions spent on development, Larkana continues to face crumbling roads, open manholes, poor sanitation, and a failing sewerage system, raising questions over the use of public funds.

Government contractor Janib Ali Lashari alleged that tenders worth approximately Rs12bn, issued in October 2025, were deliberately not advertised in widely circulated national or local newspapers of Larkana and Qambar. Instead, notices were reportedly published in two Karachi-based local newspapers that are not available in the concerned districts. He claimed this tactic excluded locally registered, tax-filing contractors licensed by the Pakistan Engineering Council, allowing contracts to be awarded to favored firms at full rates.

Mr Lashari further alleged that tender details were not uploaded on the official government website and that the tenders exceeded the approved budget and released funds for the financial year 2025–26. The questioned projects reportedly include a Rs4.25bn road from Qambar to Larkana’s Professor Colony, a Rs6bn road from Qambar Bypass to Behram city, and the construction of a circular road around Larkana.

After submitting complaints and evidence to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Larkana and receiving no progress, the complainant approached the court. Acting on Criminal Miscellaneous Application No. 2099/2025 under Section 22-A(6)(i) Cr.P.C., the V-Additional Sessions Judge, Larkana, on December 30, 2025, directed the ACE to submit a report and ensure the appearance of senior highways officials on January 5, 2026.

The proposed accused include the Chief Engineer Provincial Highways Sukkur, the Superintendent Engineer Provincial Highways Circle Larkana, the Executive Engineer Provincial Highways Division Larkana, and other senior officers.

Separately, a formal complaint was also lodged with the Chief Engineer Highways Department Sukkur and the Deputy Commissioner Larkana, seeking cancellation of the disputed NIT, initiation of an inquiry, and immediate suspension of payments for the concerned ADP schemes until full verification of the procurement process.

The petitioner has demanded registration of corruption cases and strict legal action to protect the national exchequer. Attempts to obtain the version of officials of the Provincial Highways Department remained unsuccessful, as they did not respond to calls.