The Engineering Wing of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is now being probed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amid serious allegations of corruption, procurement violations, and misuse of authority. NAB has specifically targeted Maintenance Division-III, which oversees government buildings, for allegedly awarding contracts worth millions without following proper procedures.
In a formal letter, NAB Rawalpindi requested detailed documentation for 22 projects handled by the CDA between June 2023 and June 2025. The bureau wants full records including call deposit receipts from contractors, comparative bid statements, acceptance letters, work orders, payment history, and evidence of how contracts were advertised.
Sources say there are troubling signs of procedural lapses: several contracts may have ignored the lowest bidders. One official warned that, should these allegations be confirmed, strict disciplinary action will follow against all those involved.
Among the projects linked to the inquiry are high-profile government works: repair of the Q-Block of the Pak Secretariat, remodeling in the Federal Shariat Court, maintenance in the Ministers’ Enclave, and work at the Visa Centre. Also under scrutiny are fittings in the Islamabad High Court — including electric curtains, roller blinds, and imported glass in judges’ chambers — as well as the janitorial supply contract for the Pak-China Friendship Centre and Jinnah Convention Centre.
A senior but unnamed CDA official expressed cautious optimism: while the investigation is “very simple … to reach the truth,” he urged that the call rates, issue of work orders, and timing of payments must all be carefully reviewed. He maintained that corruption can’t be ruled out until a full audit is completed.
CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani confirmed that the authority is fully cooperating with NAB, providing all required records. He also reiterated CDA’s declared zero-tolerance stance on corruption, noting that the agency recently removed 85 officials in an “operation cleanup” targeting inefficiency and tainted reputations.
This latest probe raises broader questions about systemic governance within the CDA. Observers argue that unless deeper reforms and accountability follow, such investigations risk becoming symbolic rather than transformative.
