The PPP-led coalition government is faced with an interesting situation as its federal minister, who happened to be the national assembly parliamentary leader of the second largest coalition partner – the PML-Q – is accusing the his former cabinet colleague and a PPP leader of taking bribes and commissions in the infamous rental power projects (RPPs) scam.
Interestingly this accusation is not based on mere accusations in the media, but serious charges are being framed at the country’s highest forum – the Supreme Court of Pakistan – and the minister has also provided evidence of what he believes was a major scam undertaken by his own party’s government.
This is the second such occasion that the PPP-led coalition government is being accused by its own federal minister and a leader of the coalition party. Earlier, former minister for science and technology Senator Azam Khan Swati of the JUI-F had accused PPP leader and then minister for religious affairs Sahibzada Hamid Saeed Kazmi of irregularities, which landed Kazmi in jail and sacking of both ministers.
Political & social analyst Dr Rasool Bakhsh Raees says the trend of enjoying power while accusing the government of corruption is a contradiction of politicians and elite groups who want to remain in power at all costs.
“Though Faisal is speaking the truth, he was morally bound to resign prior to accusing the government. Remaining part of a corrupt and inept government is a huge contradiction; but the elite and politicians are obsessed with power and they cannot sacrifice ministries for principles,” he said, adding that the trend was in violation of parliamentary democracy and morality.
However, Faisal Saleh Hayat looks in no mood to listen to such sermons on morality and democratic norms.
“I should not be taught the lesson of morality, as I have been member of the National Assembly for six times, besides serving as a minister. I remember the words of the oath by heart,” Faisal said in a hearing of the RPPs scam case in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
He said under his oath, he had to protect the constitution. Faisal said he was a petitioner and appeared in court on notice.
Raees, however, said that Faisal was speaking the truth and it was also correct that he had also submitted a petition in the apex court against the corruption and bribes taken in the RPPs scam.
“His defiance and consistency reflects that he even does not care about his ministry. However, he should not have been part of the corrupt government he accuses of irregularity. And if his party had decided to be a part of a corrupt government, he should not have been taken oath as a minister. Or he should have at least resigned before appearing in court in the RPPs scam case to uphold democratic traditions and norms of parliamentary democracy,” he added.
“But his very act of enjoying power and accusing the government in the same breath has exposed his obsession to remain in power at all costs,” Raees said.
Despite taking oath as a federal minister, Faisal on Thursday unleashed a series of accusations before a two-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. He said an officer, Tonio, who was the head of the Northern Generation Company, issued two notices to a RPP that was inaugurated prematurely and could not fulfill its requirements. He said Tonio was trying to get $55 million back from the said company, but he was transferred.
He said the Auditor General of Pakistan had already pointed out Rs 50 billion corruption in RPPs contract. He said in May 2000, PEPCO was constituted and it had capacity of 19,500MW megawatts at that time, while three Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were generating 1200MW megawatts additionally.
He said 6,000MW projects of IPPs were ready but the government was not taking advantage of it.
Faisal said two RPPs, Alstom and General Electric, were given Rs19 billion in advance for three-year contracts and these companies had to produce 286MW megawatt per day, but less than 50 percent of the agreed volume was being generated.
He said Iqbal Z Ahmad, who got Rs 5 billion out of this Rs 19 billion in 2008, owned General Electric Company.
When Faisal tried to defend the cabinet, the chief justice asked him not to try to do so. “With your induction, did all corruption charges washed-out,” the chief justice remarked.
Faisal said an RPP named Karkay in Karachi was producing just 25 percent of the given capacity, but it was given full payment.
He said Karkay had been given $80 million and a 14 percent of the mobilisation advance against the rule of seven percent, which was sheer violation of the rules.
The minister said there was no pre-qualification before giving these contracts and no due diligence was carried out. A day earlier, Faisal contended that completion of RPPs was deliberately delayed by the Water and Power Ministry to get huge kick-backs.
He alleged that the Water and Power Ministry had presented incorrect figures on RPPs before the government and the cabinet, which led to severe power crisis in the country.
