A Chinese company has lodged a formal complaint with Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB), accusing a Sindh government official of demanding a luxury apartment in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in exchange for awarding a tender.
The complaint, submitted by China Road & Bridge Corporation and Hubei Shuizong Water Resources and Hydropower Construction Co. Ltd. (CRBC-HBSZ), alleges that Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP) Director Ghulam Mohiyuddin Mughal requested a 3,600-square-foot apartment in Burj Khalifa as a commission for granting them the contract to restore and upgrade the Sukkur Barrage.
The firm claimed that the demand was accompanied by a photo of the Burj Khalifa. In a letter titled “Complaint Against Mr. Ghulam Mohiyuddin Mughal,” the firm urged NAB Karachi to investigate the matter, warning that failure to act might force them to halt work on the project.
The $34 billion project, supported by the World Bank, aims to extend the life of the 90-year-old Sukkur Barrage by 30 years.
The Sukkur Barrage, a critical component of the Indus Basin Irrigation System, supports seven canals irrigating 3.2 million hectares of farmland, producing $2.29 billion in annual agricultural output. The project includes structural upgrades, mechanical improvements, and enhanced monitoring systems.