The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Division unanimously decided on Thursday to brief the prime minister regarding massive irregularities and alleged corruption in foreign-funded power sector projects. The committee, led by Senator Saifullah Abro, will also directly request detailed investigations from the Federal Investigation Agency and the National Accountability Bureau. This action follows the Economic Affairs Division’s apparent refusal to order an inquiry into a separate ministry’s projects.
The decision triggered sharp criticism from lawmakers after an EAD section officer sent a letter challenging the committee’s legal jurisdiction. Senator Kamil Ali Agha termed the correspondence an adversarial attempt to create confusion and evade essential parliamentary oversight. While EAD Secretary Humair Karim accepted full responsibility for the letter, he denied any disrespect toward parliament and explained that the ministry merely sought a formal legal opinion regarding inter-ministerial procedures.
During the session, lawmakers highlighted deep systemic flaws in the management of foreign-funded resources. Senator Kamran Murtaza noted that while these international loans largely fund projects in Punjab, the financial burden of cost escalations and rampant corruption falls heavily on smaller provinces like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He revealed that officials frequently alter project designs after loan approval and initially lower contract prices to artificially inflate costs later.
Consequently, Chairman Abro warned that the committee would formally report the non-cooperation of both the EAD and the Power Division to the Public Accounts Committee. The panel ordered the EAD to submit all relevant inter-ministerial correspondence and a complete implementation report within three days. The committee will forward these documents alongside its final investigation report to the prime minister and accountability bureaus to ensure strict institutional governance.
