During the hearing of a case regarding alleged corruption in the deal for Rental Power Projects (RPPs), Khawaja Tariq Rahim, lawyer for Water and Power Ministry and Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) told a three-member Supreme Court bench on Tuesday that the court’s interference in the matter was leaving negative effects on the project.
The bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez was hearing a suo motu case involving allegations of corruption in the contract of RPPs.
The chief justice observed that the court had no fear and when it would take action against corruption, major investors involved in corruption would flee the country. He said transparency would have to be ensured at all costs.
The court again issued notices to the federation, Water and Power Ministry, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and the Law Ministry seeking their response over the RPPs. PML-N MNA and one of the applicants, Khawaja Asif, told the court that the national exchequer faced losses of billions of rupees due to the government’s failure to install RPPs in Nandi Pur and Checho Ki Mallian.
He said that in order to overcome the problem of ongoing load shedding, water for Rabbi crop was being utilised for power generation, which could badly effect the crop this season.
He said the present regime was responsible for the poor condition of the country’ economy and requested the court to look into the matter. During the hearing, the lawyer for Faisal Saleh Hayat requested the court to adjourn the matter, which the court accepted and adjourned proceedings until October 26.
On the last hearing, Shahid Hamid, former Punjab governor and counsel for Walters Power International and its associate Pakistan Power Resources (PPR) headed by Iqbal Z Ahmed, had requested the court to direct the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to finalise power tariff for rental power companies as early as possible.
The court had then directed Najmul Hassan Kazmi, counsel for NEPRA, to look into the matter and ask his client to decide the matter at the earliest. However, the finalisation of the power tariff is still pending.
A suo motu case was initiated by the Supreme Court on an application by PML-Q’s Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly Faisal Saleh Hayat against alleged fraud of billions of rupees in payments to rental power projects (RPPs).
