ISLAMABAD:
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted an inquiry commission to take legal action against those responsible for the collapse of the tunnel at the Rs500 billion Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP).
Speaking at a press conference, Iqbal said the commission, headed by a retired judge, was formed on the basis of findings from two separate committees. He added that the commission will hear those involved before initiating legal proceedings.
According to the terms of reference (ToRs), the commission will recommend legal, administrative, and financial actions against those responsible. It will categorise accountability as gross negligence, procedural misconduct, or potential criminal liability as the case may be, reads a notification.
Iqbal termed the failure of the NJHP an “expensive and glaring mistake”. He said that the restoration of the 969 megawatts project that is closed since May last year, was still not in sight as the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) had not yet submitted the PC-I for the revival.
In May this year, Water Resources Minister Muhammad Moeen had informed the National Assembly that the restoration process of the NJHRP was expected to take an additional two years to complete.
A few months ago, Wapda had proposed to the government that either the tunnel should be rebuilt with an estimated cost of Rs250-300 billion or it should be repaired by spending around Rs20 billion. The government had also engaged an international panel of experts (IPOE) to investigate the structural issues affecting the project’s Head Race Tunnel (HRT).
The panel was tasked with identifying the causes of recent challenges. The report highlighted areas of the tunnel floor that required attention, alongside recommendations for enhanced ventilation, lighting, and worker safety measures.
In May this year, the federal cabinet approved to setup a commission of inquiry under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 2017, to investigate the NJHP.
Justice (retd) Tariq Abbasi is the chairman of the inquiry commission, which has time till August 20 to finalise its report, according to the notification. Other members include Shahid Khan and the secretaries of Establishment Division, Water Resources Division and the Engineer-in-Chief of Pak Army.
The ToRs of the commission entail a sequential analysis of all key decisions in planning, design, execution, and monitoring; establishing clear accountability for omissions, delays, and misjudgements that led to the tunnel collapse.
The commission has been tasked to verify compliance with engineering standards, project management protocols, and directives from Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) and the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and other regulatory bodies.
It is required to identify the responsible individuals and determine whether failures in geological assessments, tunnel lining, and water pressure management resulted from negligence, incompetence, or deliberate misconduct, linking specific lapses to responsible officials.
The commission is assessing the role of oversight bodies, consultants, and contractors to identify failures in risk mitigation, contractual obligations, or misleading assurances, and fixing responsibility accordingly.
At the press conference, Iqbal also spoke about the prevailing economic conditions and the achievements of this government in the past one year. He said that the government successfully brought inflation down to an average of 4.5% — the lowest since 2016.
“Effective fiscal consolidation and external sector stability underscore Pakistan’s stronger-than-expected recovery trajectory, he said, adding that the economic performance reflected prudent economic management and signals growing confidence in Pakistan’s ability to navigate external shocks and sustain a path towards stability and inclusive growth.
To a question about the government’s inability to meet investment targets, the minister said that the investors were worried about Pakistan’s macroeconomic stability and judicial challenges. He added that after bringing political and economic stability and making constitutional changes through the 26th amendment, the investors’ confidence has been restored. He expressed the hope that the foreign investment would start picking up from this fiscal year.
Pakistan’s macroeconomic performance in FY2025 demonstrated resilience despite global headwinds, with GDP growth rising to 2.7% and inflation dropping sharply to an average of 4.5%, reads the development update report that the Planning Ministry released on Thursday.
It added that the government’s strategic focus on high-impact, inclusive, and export-led projects under the PSDP aligns with “Uraan Pakistan” priorities, emphasising exports, digitalisation, green growth, energy security, and social equity.
