Karachi bridge collapse culprits get promotions in NHA

Friday, March 05, 2010
By By Dilshad Azeem
ISLMAABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) lieutenants, held responsible for Karachi’s Shershah bridge collapse, have managed to get higher positions within the same organisation in less than two-and-a-half years of the disaster.

On Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s suo motu notice, the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission (PMIC) had conducted an inquiry into the tragedy, holding six NHA mandarins responsible along with their consultancy firm.

Maj-Gen Farrukh Javed (the then-chairman), Yousuf Barakzai (Project Director), Raja Nowsherwan (Member Planning), Altaf Ahmed Chaudhry (Member Motorways), Syed Najamul Hasan (engineer) and Col Tehsinul Haq (former GM Construction) were mentioned in report’s paras 9 and 8. Of the six, Altaf Ahmed Chaudhry has been elevated to the NHA chairman’s slot, the then-PD Yousuf Barakzai is now Member Construction and Raja Nowsherwan, Member Operation.

The 58-page inquiry report named the NHA and M/s ECIL for the collapse of Shershah bridge on the Karachi Northern Bypass, killing at least six persons and causing huge financial losses. Minister of State for Communication Chaudhry Imtiaz Safdar Warraich claimed the bridge collapse was basically not a fault of the three NHA officials, including the sitting chairman.

“Proper information was not provided to the committee members (probing body) about the nature of job of NHA officials as none of them (three) was sacked from service though some were temporarily suspended or served with notices to explain their position,” said Warraich.

Asked as to why and how these NHA officials were elevated, he said the consultancy firm, the ECIL, was responsible for the catastrophe. “No, I do not think so,” was his response to whether the same company had been blacklisted.

Warraich, on behalf of Federal Minister for Communication Arbab Alamgir Khan, being abroad for another 10 days, maintained the responsibility was fixed under the relevant laws and every body was supposed to discharge his/her duties.

None of the officials — NHA Chairman Altaf Chaudhry, Raja Nowsherwan or Yousuf Barakzai — have so far challenged the inquiry report of six independent persons. “I was served with a show-cause notice by the ministry (of communication) shortly after the report which held the consultant and the NHA responsible for the collapse, and I was among those who shared responsibility under the inquiry’s findings,” was the reply of the NHA chairman.

He, however, admitted the PD was responsible as far as the sole responsibility within the NHA department was concerned but he had his own viewpoint on the bridge collapse. Altaf Chaudhry maintained he, while being the then Member Motorways, had not only expressed serious reservations over the project and its design but also got a safety certificate from the contractor six months before traffic was allowed to move. “In my viewpoint, the design was faulty and that is why I obtained the certificate before I gave a go-ahead to the project as all this is now a part of the record,” he explained.

Chaudhry said the project amount to be released to the contractor was withheld for at least two years after the design was found faulty.“The contractor, under safety certificate and held-up money, is carrying out work without anymore burden on the national kitty. As far as loss of life is concerned, it is surely irreparable.”

On the charge of not conducting regular inspections, the NHA chairman said he visited the project five months before its formal opening though it was not his responsibility at that time. “My subject was to ensure quality construction material which was faultless.”

The sitting member operation, Raja Nowsherwan, who was member planning at the time of the bridge collapse, when contacted said tendering of the project completed at least one-and-a-half year before his assuming the position. “I have given a reply to the ministry in writing that I had nothing to do with its planning. Even the NHA project director, in routine duties, remains engaged in sorting out issues such as land acquisition, matters related to Deputy Commissioner, etc., or to handle other kind of disputes,” Nowsherwan, who remained suspended but reinstated, said.

The NHA chairman and member operation, however, said the sole responsibility within the organisation rests with the then PD who is now Member Construction Barakzai. When approached, Barakzai, who also faced a long suspension but finally reinstated, claimed he was sitting in the organisation after obtaining exoneration. “I was charged to have committed negligence in land acquisition. The owners, the billionaires, had donated the same land for the project utilisation; thus, making the acquisition question null and void,” he elaborated while confirming that he, too, did not challenge the inquiry report.

NHA sources clarified the Army personnel case was referred to their command for action in accordance with the Army laws. “Only three are holding the top three positions despite the fact that none of them challenged the PMIC inquiry report.” The inquiry body members were Prof Dr SFA Rafiqi, Prof Dr SH Lodhi, Advocate Engr Nasir JR Shaikh, Engr Munir Ahmed Rana, Engr Zafar Razzaq and Engr Farrukh Hassan Pasha.