Anti-corruption body seeks details of World Bank-sponsored health project – Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Anti-Corruption Establishment has sought record of procurement, purchases, vehicles, recruitment of staff and bank statements from World Bank-sponsored Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Human Capital Investment Project.

In a letter titled ‘provision of record in term of rule3 (3) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa anti-corruption rule, 1999’ it said that a complaint was under probe against relevant staff of the project KP-HCIP and others, containing allegations of corruption, collusion, practices of favouritism, unfair competition and misuse of official powers etc.

ACE has sought requisite record to pave the way for finalisation of proceedings, saying otherwise it will be presumed that the officials concerned have nothing to share in their defence in this case.

The project, meant to spend $200 million on improvement of health and education, was launched in June 2020. It was supposed to end in June 2025 but was extended to December 2026. The director of the project has been asked to provide bank and financial statements from 2020 to till date along with finance and project agreement with WB.

Director says he has provided relevant record to ACE

Additionally, ACE wants Project Procurement Strategy for Development (PPSD), Operations Manual and Procurement Plan and WB’s procurement activities before and post reviewed and approved along with certificates of ‘no conflict of interests’.

The letter said that it required complete record of procurement planning and tacking tool and correspondence related to procurement with World Bank and project director (PD).

The list of the required details also includes notification of intention to award, evaluation report and ‘no objection certificate’ from WB. It has been asked to provide rationale for shifting from concrete to pre-fabricated construction, its approval from competent forum, minutes and relevant rules under which this decision was made.

It has sought justification for advance payment of Rs250 million to Provincial Health Services Academy (PHSA), its approval, utilisation, current status and relevant general financial rules under which the amount was released and details of how much percentage of grant-in-aid was lapsed due to non-utilisation of Rs500 million ‘memorandum of understanding’ with PHSA.

It has asked for record of complaints challenging terms of prequalification/initial selection documents, debriefings and complaints and their resolution and justification for purchases of medicine from open market instead of medicine coordination cell of health department, including approvals and applicable procurement rules and method of procurement used for various procurements.

ACE has also sought details of sanction posts, vacant and filled summary, schedule of new expenditure (SNE), budget book and details of recruitments including contractual, permanent and project-related with record transferred, deputed from other departments and appointed staff, and methodology of their induction, along with relevant rules along with NoC from WB.

The details sought by ACE also include method of recruitment, advertisements, scrutiny and selection committee, minutes, interview call letters, attendance sheets, marking sheet, merit list, appointment orders, experience and education verification report, pay releases as per the project policy and justification for requisition of services from non-civil servant in the project.

It also wants pay and TA/DA bills, method of salary disbursement and record of cancelled/terminated/resigned project’s staff with cogent

reasons.

ACE has also sought list of tenders and procurements along with signed contracts, administrative and technical approval and standard bidding documents in addition to letter sent to information department for advertisements in newspapers, list of prospective bidders to whom bid solicitation documents (BSD) were issued.

It has also sought details of bid evaluation report along with relevant certificates of Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan registration.

Official sources said that the project was worth $200 million including $85 million for health and $115 million for education sector with 48 per cent as grant and 52 per cent credit. It was started in 2021 and the end time was June 2025, but due to poor performance, it couldn’t achieve the objectives therefore, WB decided to close it, they added.

However, on the government’s assurance, WB granted extension to the project till December, 2026 but with a cut on the total amount thereby reducing it to $62 million for health.

One of the conditions for extension of the project was to change the previous management, which the government did in February this year. “Now, WB is satisfied with current administration,” they said.

KP-HICP director Dr Mohammad Bilal told Dawn that he had provided all details to ACE without elaborating further.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2025

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