Transparency International Pakistan has asked the Prime Minister to look into serious allegations about a major dredging project at Port Qasim. The group claims that the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and the newly formed National Dredging and Marine Services (NDMS) are planning to give a $200 million (PKR 60 billion) contract to a private company without any open bidding. They say this would go against the rules set by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
The organization also stated that officials are wrongly using the Prime Minister’s call for “urgent action” as a reason to skip the competitive process. According to the complaint, NDMS—working together with Karachi Port Trust, Gwadar Port Authority, and the National Logistics Corporation—is preparing to award this project directly, instead of allowing multiple companies to bid fairly.
Transparency International reviewed the case and pointed out that dredging at Port Qasim has been delayed for 17 years. The first tender was issued in 2008, with the lowest bid at PKR 10.7 billion, but it was canceled without any clear explanation. Due to years of delays, the cost of the same project has now increased to PKR 60 billion, raising even more concerns about transparency and accountability.
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