ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has once again appointed BS-20 officer Iftikhar Ahmed Sajid to the key position of Member Central Zone, barely a month after he was removed from the same post over poor performance and alleged involvement in political activities. 

Mr Sajid, who is considered a close aide of incumbent Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, has once again secured the key position shortly after his removal.

Sources said Mr Sajid has spent most of his service in Lahore in various capacities and developed close ties with the incumbent minister following last year’s Ravi floods. It is pertinent to mention that a private housing society owned by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan was also affected by the high flooding in the Ravi River.

The NHA in July 2026 removed Mr Sajid, along with two other officers, from their positions over their alleged involvement in political activities.

According to official notifications, Member Central Zone Iftikhar Sajid, General Manager (Construction) Punjab South Muzaffar Abbas, and Project Director of the Layyah-Taunsa Bridge Project Muhammad Fawad Khan Gorchani were removed from their positions and directed to report to the administrative pool.

Sources told Infra News PK that following the recent resumption of the Layyah-Taunsa Bridge Project, Project Director Muhammad Fawad Khan Gorchani attended a public gathering wearing garlands around his neck.

He not only attended the gathering but also addressed the audience, during which he praised Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and his party, Istehkam-e-Pakistan, for resuming the long-stalled project after several years.

However, people familiar with the developments said his remarks were taken seriously by the local leadership of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which reportedly felt deprived of taking credit for the project’s resumption.

Subsequently, the matter was taken up with NHA’s senior management, which not only removed the Project Director but also transferred the concerned General Manager and Member from their positions.

The reappointment of Mr Sajid to the same key position shortly after his removal has raised questions among NHA officials regarding the rationale behind the decision, particularly in light of the reasons cited for his earlier removal.