News
Thursday, October 27, 2011
SC forms commission to probe corruption in RPPs* Commission headed by Justice (r) Jafferi also tasked to determine reasons behind delay in execution of Rental Power Projects
* Will submit its report within four weeks
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC), on Wednesday, constituted a commission headed by Justice (r) Rehmat Hussain Jafferi to probe alleged corruption as well as to determine reasons behind delay in the installation of Rental Power Projects (RPPs), which have caused great loss to the national exchequer.
The court said that the commission could acquire the services of any expert in probing the matter, and Finance Ministry and all relevant departments would extend support to it and also bear the expenses.
The commission would submit its report within four weeks. The court also observed that there was a need to hold the officials responsible for delay in the functioning of RPPs. A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and comprising Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, was hearing the application filed by Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif. During the hearing, the CJ said the court could not shut its eyes to corruption, adding cases of the officials, who were involved in the RPPs’ corruption, would be sent to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
He again observed that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to whom the corruption cases had been sent showed no progress, and when the court ordered action against the relevant officer he was promoted to a high rank the next day, while a honest and capable officer who liked to perform his professional duties was transferred to Gilgit Baltistan.
The petitioner, Faisal Saleh Hayat, who became Minister for Housing and Works after PML-Q joined the PPP-led government about five months ago, informed the court that Ministry of Water and Power was responsible for the non-completion of the rental projects and due to that the country faced severe load shedding. He added that Asian Development Bank had mentioned this aspect in its report.
He said that work on RRPs was intentionally delayed for the sake of kickback and the ministry’s officials presented wrong data to the government and the cabinet. Khawaja Tariq Rahim counsel for Ministry of Water and Power, objected to the appearance of Faisal Saleh Hayat before the court. *
He said Faisal should have taken permission from the prime minister before appearing in the court. However, the court dismissed his objection.
Shahid Hamid, who represented the Rental Power companies, said morally Faisal Saleh should have resigned like Babar Awan and Zulfiqar Mirza before appearing in the court. To which the federal minister remarked, “None should give me sermon on ethics as I have been elected to the National Assembly for six times and was minister in various governments.”
Faisal said he knew his oath, “that I will protect the constitution of Pakistan.”
The PML-Q leader said that he had appeared before the bench on the court’s notice in his personal capacity. He said that as he was not fully prepared therefore the court adjourned the cases for today (Thursday).
Earlier, during the course of hearing, Deputy Attorney General Shoaib Shaheen presented the Pepco report on rental power projects. The court, after examining the report, said that circumstances had come to a pass where a file from the minister’s table reached secretary’s table in five months. The CJ said nobody was taking the matter seriously, while the officials’ negligence had caused huge loss to the national exchequer.
He added the nation was suffering due to the bickering among officers. The court observed that if the government had taken timely steps then RPPs might have been completed and people would not have been suffering from load shedding.
Khawaja Asif informed the court that due to government’s negligence, RPPs could not be completed so far.
“If the RPPs have been completed then its electricity would be cheap than independent power producers (IPPs),” he added.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk