The Supreme Court of Pakistan Thursday expressed displeasure over ‘adhocism’ and ‘nepotism’ in the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Amir Hani Muslim heard a case pertaining to load shedding and power tariff hike.
During the hearing, the petitioner revealed that Khawaja Naeem was working as acting chairman of the NEPRA, and not as a permanent chairman of the institution responsible for regulating electricity in Pakistan.
The revelation drew the CJ’s anger and he remarked: “It’s understandable why state institutions are being run on adhocism. The attorney general must respond to it. If everything is to be run by the court then what the government is meant for?”
“How an acting NEPRA chief can take decisions?” the chief justice questioned. He said the constitution does not allow adhocism. Non-appointment of permanent heads of important national institutions was tantamount to violation of the constitution, the CJ further commented.
The chief justice further remarked that the parliament would have to amend the constitution if the government wanted to run the institutions in this manner.
The complainant made another disclosure that Khawaja Naeem was relative of Water and Power Minister Khawaja Asif. At this, the chief justice remarked that the tradition of favoritism in high-level appointments was still alive. “Everything is being run through nepotism.” Khawaja Naeem also admitted in the court that he was a relative of the water and power minister. The court observed that it was stated in the verdict on the Khawaja Asif case that the government should avoid nepotism and ensure appointments on merit. The court was told that interviews were being held for a new NEPRA chairman’s appointment. The court sought a report on appointment of permanent chairmen since 1997 to date. The hearing of the case was adjourned till Monday.
