Pakistan probes PKR 1.4B Islamabad flyover tender after irregularities flagged

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Inspection Commission has directed the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) to investigate alleged irregularities in the tendering of a PKR 1.4 billion ($5 million) flyover project in the capital, Islamabad.

According to officials, the PPRA has asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad’s municipal body, to provide detailed records of the tender’s advertisement and submission timelines.

The CDA advertised the tender on July 10, 2025, for a flyover at the intersection of G.T. Road and Islamabad Expressway, two of the city’s busiest arteries. Contractors were instructed to submit bids exclusively through the E-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (EPADS), a digital platform designed with World Bank support and overseen by the PPRA. The deadline for submission was July 24, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. Manual submissions were not allowed.

But records on EPADS show the CDA canceled the tender on July 8, one day before its official advertisement appeared on the CDA website.

The portal also indicates that the CDA reissued the tender on July 22 and completed the entire bidding process by July 24, leaving only two days between re-advertisement and conclusion. That raised questions about whether procurement rules were followed.

Under PPRA regulations, at least 15 days must pass between a tender’s publication and the opening of bids. EPADS enforces this requirement automatically and cannot be bypassed without manipulation, according to sources.

A CDA spokesperson told Nukta the tender had been published in national newspapers on July 10 and denied it was re-advertised on July 22. “We will formally respond to the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission once we receive an official letter,” the spokesperson said.

PPRA Board Chairman Imdad Ullah Bosal did not respond to Nukta’s request for comment before publication.

The inquiry comes as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been promoting major infrastructure development in and around Islamabad.

Earlier this month, he inaugurated construction of the T-Chowk Flyover in Rawat, a key suburban junction. That project was awarded to Habib Construction Services and ZKB as a joint venture after they submitted the lowest bid.