A Chinese corporation has been banned from participating in tenders or bidding for a month by Pakistan's National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC). According to the Dawn newspaper, the company was blacklisted by a state-owned subsidiary of Pakistan's Ministry of Energy (Power Division) after allegations of preparing and submitting fake paperwork to the department concerned during a project's bidding process.

The NTDC general manager wrote in a letter, "The Chinese firm is hereby blacklisted and barred from participating in all NTDC bidding/tender process with immediate effect for a period of one month on account of submitting forged and fake documents."

The letter, titled 'Blacklisting of the Chinese Firm/Tender No. NPP-04M (R)-2020 for procurement of insulator hardware assemblies including Pre-RTV-Coated 160kN Disc Insulator (Anti-Fog Type, Porcelain or Glass) for 500kV D/C Quad Bundle Transmission Lines for Power Evacuation from K-2/K-3 Nuclear Power Plants,' says that under terms of this office directive, it will have a prospective effect and will not apply to any contracts currently in progress.

Several high-ranking government officials have received copies of the letters. NTDC's managing director, the heads of the Water and Power Development Authority and the Pakistan Engineering Council are among the individuals on the list. MDs of National Engineering Services Pakistan and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, as well as the CEOs of all power distribution firms and the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guarantee (CPPA-G) also received the letter.

Recently, the transmission line project of 720 MW Karot Hydro Power Project made 90 per cent progress, according to the NTDC. Because the work is to be done inside the Karot premises, the remaining work will be finished once the Karot hydropower project officials provide their approval. According to the Pakistani newspaper, The News International, China's Three Gorges Corporation is building the 720-MW Karot hydropower project, which is largely located in Karot Village of Kahuta, Punjab, as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The project, which is expected to cost $1.72 billion, was initially scheduled to be completed in December 2021. However, due to constraints placed by the Karot plant authorities as a result of protracted lockdowns in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, the project has been delayed slightly.