NAB engages AGP as counsel in RPPs' case
13 November, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has engaged Attorney General of Pakistan Irfan Qadir to defend it before the Supreme Court in the suo motu case regarding the non-implementation of the court's judgement on the rental power projects (RPPs). NAB is facing a very tough time in the apex court regarding the non-implementation of the judgement as show-cause notices have been issued to the Bureau's chief and other officials in this matter. Legal experts believe NAB has requested the AGP to defend its stance in the case aggressively. Meanwhile, in the case proceedings on Monday, Irfan Qadir told the Supreme Court that if the Turkish rental power plant, Karkey, goes into international arbitration over its claim, the fall-out of this move would be very damaging for Pakistan. The AGP requested the bench to exercise the policy of restraint in this matter. The court had on November 8 sought an affidavit from NAB seeking assurance that Karkey would not be allowed to leave Karachi port until it paid the entire amount outstanding against it. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has also taken notice of the advertisement by Karkey in newspapers pertaining to the matter, which is sub judice. The court issued notice to Karkey's administration asking it to explain on November 20 why instead of filing an application the company had initiated a campaign through media advertisements. It also asked the AGP and Pakistan Muslim League-Q Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly Makhdoom Faisal Salah Hayat to sit down together to determine how much outstanding amount should be paid by the four rental power companies that are involved in the case. The AGP told the bench that NAB chairman held a meeting with him on Sunday and engaged him to appear on behalf of NAB in the case. On the other hand, Faisal Saleh Hayat said that NAB's deal with Karkey was in sheer violation and contravention of the Supreme Court verdict on the RPPs. He also contended that due to this underhand deal, the country would face a loss of Rs 22 billion. Hayat said that the court had recovered the payments from five rental power companies but four still had to pay the outstanding amount. "The inaction on the part of the NAB chairman and officials to implement the Supreme Court judgement is tantamount to their collusion and involvement in underhand deal for orchestrating so-called out-of-the-court settlement for which they are not authorised by law or by the Supreme Court of Pakistan," he contended. The court has given one-week time to the AGP to prepare his case and adjourned the hearing until November 20. End.
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