The apex court issued notices to former law minister Babar Awan, former law secretary Masood Chishti and other parties in the case of delay in installation of power plants and adjourned hearing till Nov 17.
The two-member bench of the Supreme court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the case.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Iftikhar remarked that according to the report submitted by Justice (retd) Rehmat Hussain Jafri’s one-man commission, the delay in the installation of Rs29 billion 425MW combined cycle power plant in Nandipur (Gujranwala) and 595MW Chichunki Malian power project had caused the national exchequer to suffer a loss of Rs 113 billion.
The petitioner, MNA Khawaja Asif of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), told the court that the estimate of losses mentioned in the report encompassed the past three years and if the two years prior to the period that were accounted for as well then the looses would amount to approximately Rs 150 billion.
Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja said in his remarks as to why these matters were not resolved in the parliament, to which the PML-N lawmaker replied that the matter was brought to the court as the parliament had failed to resolve it.
Earlier in May, the Supreme Court had taken up Asif’s petition against the delay in the installation of Rs29 billion 425MW combined cycle power plant in Nandipur (Gujranwala) and 595MW Chichunki Malian power project.
Delay in power projects: SC summons Awan, Masood Chishti
