Islamabad Capital Territory

Tenders for 71 development schemes worth Rs 8.92 billion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been cancelled following allegations of kickbacks and politically motivated allocations. The Communications and Works (C&W) Department secretary issued the cancellation notification on November 6.

According to media reports, the secretary received an anonymous request to cancel development tenders in Khyber district. The application alleged that advance kickbacks of 5 to 10 per cent had been collected in exchange for contracts, with total payments estimated at Rs 500 million to Rs 900 million. Reports said projects worth around Rs 5 billion in Khyber district were allegedly linked to Naveed, described as a close associate of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Separately, projects worth Rs 3.9 billion under the Annual Development Programme were linked to provincial lawmaker Abdul Ghani.

These claims remain allegations; the available reports do not independently verify them or include responses from the individuals named.
During the inquiry, Bara Sub-Divisional Officer Ziaullah was reportedly taken into custody for questioning.

An executive engineer of the C&W Department was also said to be under investigation.
Officials gathered information about the distribution of tenders and began reviewing records from the past two years. Reports also said investigators found allegations of kickbacks involving two development schemes linked to Abdul Ghani and Naveed.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has directed the National Highway Foundation (NHF) to publish a public notice about proposed changes to the layout plan of Jinnah Town Housing Scheme in Islamabad’s Zone 5. The authority said it would proceed further with the application after the notice is published in one leading English-language and one leading Urdu-language national newspaper.

The NHF had requested approval of the amended plan through letters dated September 4 and September 24, 2026. The CDA’s Planning Wing is examining the application, but the authority has not yet approved the revised layout plan. In its letter, the CDA said the public notice must follow the format set out in Annex L of the regulations governing private housing, farm housing, apartment and commercial schemes in Zones 2, 4 and 5 of the Islamabad Capital Territory. These regulations were framed under the ICT Zoning Regulations, 1992. The scheme’s sponsor will pay the cost of publishing the notice.

The CDA has also circulated the letter to relevant departments, including its Information Technology Directorate, with instructions to upload the public notice to the authority’s official website. The letter was issued with the approval of the Director General of Spatial Planning and the Director of Housing Societies.
The public-notice requirement is a procedural step in the CDA’s review. The available information does not specify the proposed changes to the layout plan or a timeline for a decision on the NHF’s application.

The government has drawn up a plan to invest about $1 billion over the next three to five years to expand Pakistan’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) infrastructure amid rising demand and constraints in the existing supply chain.

The proposed investment includes new import terminals, storage facilities, cylinders, filling plants and transport infrastructure. A senior Petroleum Division official said Pakistan’s annual LPG demand had reached about 2.4 million metric tonnes. Demand grew by an average of 7.5 per cent a year over the past six years and is expected to increase by 8 to 8.5 per cent annually in the coming years. The plan aims to expand the existing supply system and meet projected demand, according to sources.

A KPMG analysis based on government estimates projects that LPG demand will rise from about 2.4 million tonnes in fiscal year 2025-26 to 4.16 million tonnes by FY2032-33. Domestic production is expected to increase more slowly, from around 960,000 tonnes to 1.35 million tonnes over the same period. To bridge the gap, imports could rise from 1.4 million tonnes to 2.8 million tonnes. Pakistan’s existing infrastructure also requires expansion. Both of the country’s seaborne LPG terminals are located at Port Qasim, each with a storage capacity of about 6,500 metric tonnes. The terminals can receive vessels of up to approximately 10,000 dead weight tonnes, while their capacity to handle larger ships and provide additional storage remains limited. About 71 per cent of the country’s overall LPG supply is met through imports, according to a report.
Reports citing Petroleum Division documents have also highlighted rising demand, limited domestic production and reliance on imported supplies. Petroleum officials say disruptions to supply through the western border have underscored the need to diversify import sources and strengthen the transport network.

The proposed expansion could increase import and storage capacity while improving cylinder availability, filling operations and distribution across the country. However, available reports do not specify the plan’s final approval status, project schedule or implementation details.