The NAB has launched an inquiry into alleged financial irregularities in the Karachi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Yellow Line project. The investigation will focus on advance payments worth Rs8.5 billion and whether all legal procedures were followed before the funds were released.
According to official sources, the NAB Chairman has directed the Director General of NAB Karachi to begin a detailed inquiry into the matter. The bureau will examine the payment process and determine whether the released funds matched the progress of the project.
Officials said the inquiry will review how much work was completed after the advance payments were made. It will also assess whether any part of the project remained unfinished despite the release of funds.
The investigation will cover all relevant records related to the BRT Yellow Line project. It will also evaluate whether the required legal and financial procedures were properly followed before the payments were approved.
The case is linked to former Project Director Zameer Ahmed Abbasi, who has already been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE). He was taken into custody in Lahore after his bail application was rejected by the court.
The ACE is continuing its investigation into the case. However, the official challan has not yet been submitted before the court.
Earlier, the ACE registered a corruption case against Abbasi, who served as Project Director of the Karachi Mobility Project (KMP). Former Director Procurement Jhaman Das and several other officials were also named in the case over alleged corruption and financial irregularities in the BRT Yellow Line project.
An anti-corruption court had earlier dismissed Abbasi’s bail plea in the Rs8.5 billion corruption case. During the hearing, the court questioned the payment mechanism used for the project.
The court observed that the available facts suggested the possible involvement of “big players” in the case. It also raised concerns about whether all required conditions had been completed before the advance payments were released.
During the proceedings, the Sindh government’s public prosecutor did not oppose the bail request. Meanwhile, Abbasi’s lawyer argued that the payments were made only after all required conditions had been fulfilled. The defense also claimed that valid bank guarantees had been secured before the funds were released.
The court, however, questioned whether every contractual requirement had been completed before the payments were approved. In response, the defense maintained that it was the prosecution’s responsibility to prove any violation of rules.
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With the latest development, NAB will now conduct its own investigation alongside the ongoing ACE probe. The inquiry is expected to examine financial records, project progress, and the decision-making process behind the advance payments. The findings may determine whether further legal action is required against those involved in the BRT Yellow Line project.
