The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday deferred proceedings on a bunch of pleas moved by rental power plants (RPPs), seeking review of the court’s judgement of March 30, 2012.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed deferred the proceedings because the counsel for PEPCO, Khawaja Tariq Rahim, could not appear in court due to certain unavoidable circumstances.
During the course of proceedings, Pervaiz Hassan, counsel for Piran Ghaib, a private power company, contended that they had never been paid with the advance amount and such a stance was vindicated by the bank’s statement.
He complained that when they approached the NAB authorities over the issue, the inflexible stance that was taken was that the court had taken cognisance of the cases and they could not do anything.
To the bench’s query, he said throughout the hearing, the issue did not come up.
The chief justice told him that from the documents they were informed by the authorities concerned that the company had taken advance payment.
He also withdrew the counsel’s attention towards the absence of PEPCO’s counsel, asking whether it would be appropriate to proceed in the matter.
He also observed that nobody should get any impression from the court’s proceedings, so that the NAB might delay its own proceedings.
Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, counsel for Kamokey Power Company, said the bench had so far admitted his review and issued notice in the case.
He said the issue would be whether the machinery worth billions of rupees had been lying and could be removed to Bangladesh and Iraq by the concerned companies.
He said that a stance from the government’s side might come forward in the meanwhile over these assets of worth billion of rupees.
The CJ posed a question whether the current government which was completing its term, could take such an important decision!
The counsel for Piran Ghaib power company replied that it would not be possible.
Further proceedings was adjourned until March 8.