IG directed to ensure security to former PM

LAHORE

An Accountability Court on Saturday directed the IG Punjab to take appropriate security measures for former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for his appearance before the court in an illegal appointments case.

The court issued the directions after the counsel of the accused contended that security measures were not satisfactory in the previous proceedings.

The NAB had filed a reference alleging the former prime minister had recruited more than four hundred employees illegally in Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO).

It alleged the former PM violating the rules recruited around 437 employees in Gujranwala Electric Power Company just to increase his vote bank.

He was also accused of awarding an contract of 62 MW Rental Power Projects (RPPs), Gujranwala, and Ogra scam.

He was also accused of receiving kickbacks and commission in RPP deals when he was the federal minister for water and power in 2008.

adjourned: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday adjourned proceedings against IG Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera and others in the Minhajul Quran killings case.

Previously, the court had summoned the accused to face trial in a private complaint filed by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek accusing them of the murder of 14 workers on June 17, 2014. On Saturday, only SP Tariq Aziz appeared before the court after which the court adjourned the case by April 21. A full bench of the Lahore High Court, headed by Justice Yawar Ali on March 10, has suspended operation on summons issued to the Inspector General of Police Punjab by the ATC.

On March 3, 2016, Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Minajul Quran had filed  a private complaint in the court seeking appearance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Federal Ministers Saad Rafiq, Khawaja Asif and others accusing them of responsible for the murder of innocent PAT workers on June 17.