KATHMANDU: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives has decided to forward a formal letter to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), urging it to investigate alleged corruption in the construction of the Pokhara International Airport.

During a committee meeting held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday, PAC Chairperson Rishikesh Pokharel announced that the committee had endorsed a report submitted by its subcommittee.

The report, he said, reveals serious irregularities and corruption from the early stages of the project’s contract process to the execution phase, citing both financial and technical discrepancies.

Pokharel confirmed that the endorsed report would be sent to the CIAA for immediate investigation and legal action based on its findings.

However, the meeting also saw internal disagreements. CPN-UML lawmaker and former Minister for Tourism Yogesh Bhattarai expressed reservations about the report’s content.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged the necessity of a CIAA investigation, stating that he is willing to cooperate and provide a statement if required.

In contrast, Nepali Congress lawmaker Arjun Narsingh KC defended the report, calling it impartial and urging that it be acted upon.

Subcommittee coordinator Rajendra Lingden also weighed in, stressing that the report was drafted with due diligence and without any political bias.