Advertising, promotional contracts: LHC seeks personal appearance of NHA chief

Lahore High Court here Thursday sought personal appearance of chairman National Highways Authority (NHA) in a petition questioning awarding of advertising and promotional contracts in violation of rules. The court issued this direction as respondent authority failed to submit replies since January last.
The petitioner, Muhammad Imran Chohan, had alleged NHA of massive corruption in awarding highways advertising contracts. The petitioner submitted that in 2005, NHA gave a contract of advertising rights to the company Evolve for a period of five years at rupees 1.3 million per annum rate for using Lahore to Sahiwal Motorway (M-5).
The petitioner stated that in 2006, NHA, committing mishandling and corruption, gave additional advertising rights to the said company to use Lahore to Kalashah Kako Motorway (M-2) without any charges. The petitioner submitted that as the contract for M5 was for five years, it expired in 2010, starting from 2005, but the NHA extended the contract with the Evolves for additional two years without giving tenders for it.
The petitioner further said that at the top of everything, NHA, instead of increasing the rates gave special favour to Evolves Contractor by reducing annual advertising rates from 1.3 million per year to Rs 0.8 million per year (Rs 13 lakh to eight lakh per year) causing loss to the State.