Peshawar | ReNews Pakistan The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has identified evidence of serious financial and administrative irregularities during a preliminary inquiry into the Rs 100 billion Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project (KPCIP), raising questions over contractor payments, land compensation, banking records, tax deductions and the transfer of acquired land to government departments. According to NAB sources, scrutiny of the project's financial records has identified several payments for which supporting receipts are unavailable. Investigators have also encountered cases in which essential information relating to beneficiaries' bank accounts was reportedly not retained in the records of the banks concerned. The inquiry has further identified discrepancies amounting to millions of rupees between the cheque register and entries in the government's SAP financial management system concerning payments made to a contractor. To establish the reasons for these differences, NAB has sought detailed payment records for the period from 2023 to 2025 from the office of the Accountant General and the project's Project Management Unit (PMU). The accountability bureau has also requested documentation from the PMU, the relevant bank and the federal Ministry of Finance regarding payments made to vendors, contractors and tax authorities. Another major area under investigation concerns compensation for land acquired for development schemes in Swat, Abbottabad and Kohat. According to information emerging during the preliminary inquiry, funds were withdrawn under the land compensation head, but certain affected landowners reportedly did not receive their payments. NAB has consequently sought comprehensive records from the relevant district administrations, including details of land acquisition, compensation assessments, release of funds and payments made to affected property owners. Investigators are expected to use these documents to establish whether the allocated funds were disbursed in accordance with the applicable legal and financial procedures. The bureau has also sought bank statements for relevant government accounts covering the period from 2021 to 2026 to examine profits earned on public funds and determine whether the associated financial transactions were properly recorded and accounted for. Records relating to the Abbottabad district administration's accounts have separately been requested to examine potential financial losses linked to advance tax payable by land sellers and other beneficiaries. The preliminary inquiry has additionally raised questions about the ownership status of land acquired for the project. According to NAB sources, some of the acquired properties have yet to be formally transferred to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or the relevant government departments despite their acquisition for public development purposes. The bureau has sought complete documentation concerning the land, explanations for delays in ownership transfers, and details of stamp duty, local council taxes and amounts deposited into the government treasury. Independent land valuation reports prepared by the PMU have also been requested to assess whether compensation assessments were consistent with the rates prescribed by the Board of Revenue and the relevant project requirements. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project is a major urban infrastructure initiative supported by international development financing. The project is designed to improve municipal infrastructure and essential urban services in five cities: Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Abbottabad and Mingora. Its principal components include improvements in water supply systems, sewerage and drainage infrastructure, solid waste management, urban environmental conditions and the institutional capacity of municipal service providers. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project is expected to benefit approximately 3.5 million residents across the five cities. The financing structure includes support from the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, placing particular importance on financial transparency, procurement procedures and compliance with the safeguards attached to international development financing. Meanwhile, the KPCIP Project Director has responded to the observations raised during the inquiry, maintaining that payments were made directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts and that complete supporting documentation had already been furnished to audit authorities. The Project Director explained that payments through cheques were processed from the revolving fund account through the Accountant General's office, while certain third-party payments were made directly by the Asian Development Bank into beneficiaries' bank accounts. Regarding discrepancies in contractor payments, he stated that the Accountant General's office records cheque-based payments in the SAP system, whereas the PMU maintains records of payments made through both the revolving fund and ADB's direct payment arrangements. He maintained that reconciliation of these two payment mechanisms should account for the apparent differences in the recorded totals. On the issue of land compensation, the Project Director said the required funds had been released to the relevant deputy commissioners and district collectors in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. He explained that assessment and disbursement of land compensation were the legal responsibilities of the respective district collectors. According to him, a substantial number of affected landowners have already received compensation, while certain payments remain pending because of litigation, legal complications, difficulties in contacting landowners and other administrative obstacles. He said the outstanding funds remained with the relevant district authorities and would be disbursed to eligible landowners after the resolution of the outstanding issues. The Project Director also clarified that independent land valuation studies were required under the Asian Development Bank's safeguard policies, the financing agreements and the approved land acquisition and resettlement framework. NAB's examination remains at the preliminary inquiry stage, and the allegations have not been established through a final investigative or judicial determination. The eventual findings will depend on the reconciliation of financial records, verification of land compensation payments, examination of banking transactions and scrutiny of the documentation obtained from the relevant government departments and project authorities.

Peshawar | ReNews Pakistan The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recovered government land worth Rs 1.23 billion from illegal occupants in Lachi tehsil of Kohat district and transferred the land to the provincial government. According to NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sources, the recovered land covers 6,163 kanals and 8 marlas. The land had remained under illegal occupation for a prolonged period and has now been restored to the provincial government through the revenue record. The sources said the land was taken into government custody in the early 1970s under Martial Law Regulation (MLR) 115. However, the land was not subsequently transferred to the name of the provincial government in the official revenue record. The absence of a formal transfer in the revenue record was followed by illegal occupation of the land by individuals. The property remained under unauthorised occupation for years despite having been taken into government custody under the relevant legal framework. Following the NAB action, the government land has now been recovered and transferred to the provincial government. The completion of the revenue record transfer also formally restores the government’s ownership record over the large tract of land. The recovery of more than 6,163 kanals of government land represents a significant intervention in protecting state owned property and restoring official land records. Proper documentation of government land is also important for its future management, administration and potential use for public purposes. The recovered land is located in Lachi tehsil of Kohat district. Its future utilisation will depend on decisions by the provincial government and the relevant departments. The restoration of the land to government ownership, however, provides a formal administrative basis for preventing unauthorised use or occupation. The action also highlights the importance of updating revenue records for land taken into government custody. Failure to complete such transfers can create gaps in ownership documentation and provide opportunities for unauthorised occupation or disputes over state property. According to NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sources, the objective of the action was to recover the government land from illegal occupants and ensure its transfer and record in the name of the provincial government.

Peshawar | ReNews Pakistan Peshawar has launched a Rs 9.3 billion infrastructure development package covering the rehabilitation and improvement of 19 major roads and the construction of a new underpass at Pishtakhara Chowk. The projects form part of the broader Peshawar Revitalization Plan, which focuses on improving the city’s major road network, easing traffic pressure and upgrading urban infrastructure. The development package has been divided into two major projects. The Key Roads and Routes Upgradation Project has been allocated Rs 7.2 billion for the rehabilitation, improvement and beautification of 19 major roads and routes across the provincial capital. Phase I A of the road upgrade programme covers several important routes, including Bacha Khan Chowk to Pajagi Ring Road, Dalazak Road, Bacha Khan Chowk to Northern Bypass Road, Ashraf Road to Circular Road, Hashtnagri Road, Faqirabad Road, Khyber Bazaar to Kohat Road at Ramdas, Cinema Road, LRH Road, Ramdas Chowk to GT Road and Lahori Chowk to Anam Sanam Chowk Road. Phase I B extends the programme to Kohat Road to Bara Bridge, University Road to Canal Road, Bara Road to Safiyoon Chowk Road, Swati Phatak to Ring Road and Ring Road Achini to University Road at Spin Jamaat. The phase also includes improvements to the entry points of Hayatabad, its major internal roads and the boundary wall. Alongside road rehabilitation, the programme includes improvement and beautification works aimed at upgrading the overall urban environment. The second major component of the package is the Pishtakhara Chowk Underpass, with an estimated cost of Rs 2.1 billion. The underpass is planned to ease traffic congestion at a major southern intersection of Peshawar, where local traffic converges with Ring Road traffic and routes leading towards surrounding residential areas. The project has a targeted construction period of approximately three months. Once completed, the underpass is expected to improve traffic movement at Pishtakhara Chowk and facilitate connectivity between key routes. The overall Rs 9.3 billion package represents a major urban infrastructure initiative focused on rehabilitation of Peshawar’s road network and improvement of traffic infrastructure at a key intersection. The projects are also intended to support smoother movement between different parts of the provincial capital and improve the urban transport network.