ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday summoned Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Syed Naveed Qamar in the Nandipur Power Project reference.
Accountability Judge Arshad Malik summoned both the former federal ministers to testify in the case on the next hearing scheduled for March 21.
As the hearing began, former law minister Babar Awan and a witness, Muhammad Naeem, an official of the Ministry of Power, appeared in the court.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor requested the court to grant some time to submit the relevant record in the case. Awan objected to the persecution’s request, saying it had earlier sought three days’ time for the purpose but the court had given it six days’ time.
Over the course of the hearing, there was also an exchange of heated words between Awan and the prosecutor.
In the previous hearing, the court had indicted the accused who pleaded not guilty and opted to contest charges. The judge then directed NAB to present witnesses to record their testimonies.
NAB has named former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Babar Awan, former law secretary Riaz Kiyani, Masood Chishti, ex-consultant Shumaila Mahmood, former joint secretary Riaz Mahmood and ex-secretary Shahid Rafique as accused persons in the case.
According to NAB officials, delays in the completion of Nandipur Power Project caused the national exchequer a loss of Rs27 billion.