ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday decided to file two more references against former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in the mage Rental Power Plants scam. The decision was taken in the executive board meeting of NAB chaired by NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry. The board closed down the inquiry against Nahid Khan, ex-political secretary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, for having the assets beyond known sources while deciding to launch complaint verification in a case against Amir Haider Khan Hoti, former chief minister KPK for accumulating assets beyond known sources of income. The references against Raja Pervaiz Ashraf pertain to “M/S Techno Engineering Services (Pvt) Ltd, at Sammundri Road Faisalabad and Summundri Road extension. Other accused in both the references include Shahid Rafi, ex-secretary, ministry of water & power/ex-chairman Pakistan Electric, Ismail Qureshi, ex-chairman PEPCO, Munawar Baseer Ahmad, ex-MD PEPCO and Tahir Basharat Cheema. They were allegedly involved in misuse of authority, corruption and corrupt practices by conducting illegal/unauthorised international competitive bidding in violation of NEPRA Act, illegal and non-transparent award of contract for extending financial benefits to sponsors, illegal/unauthorised changes in terms of contract through revision of Letter of Award, in violation of advertised criteria. Sources in the NAB said Raja Pervaiz Ashraf during his tenure as minister for water & power approved summary for submission before the ECC & the cabinet in violation of PPRA rules and transparency. On 13.04.2009 he authorised submission of summary to the ECC whereby GOP guarantee to back up payment obligations of the power purchaser instead of SBLC was proposed and subsequently approved by the ECC and thereby sanctioned a major post-bidding variation which has also been pointed out by ADB in its audit report. “This fact has also been recorded by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgment dated 30.03.2012,” sources said. Furthermore, the sources said, on 17.08.2009, a summary was approved and authorised for submission to the ECC of the cabinet which contained misleading facts and misrepresentation. It stated that the terms and conditions of the bidding envisaging 7% advance and confirmed SBLC could not be honoured due to difficulties in financing; therefore, revised in consultation with the finance division to 14% advance and GOP’s sovereign guarantee. From the scrutiny of the record of the Finance Division, no such consultation/concurrence had taken place and all the RPPs did not have the condition of establishing confirmed SBLC. Sources opined that this concession, which caused tremendous losses to the Government of Pakistan, was extended to all RPPs on retrospective basis through misrepresentation & misstatement of facts. The executive board also approved reference against Zahoor Khattak, former chief controller of purchase, Pakistan Railway, Saeed Akhtar, former general manager (operation), Pakistan Railway, Sameeullah Khan, chief controller of stores (CCS), Pakistan Railway, and Zeeshan Ahmad, contractor /proprietor of M/s Pak Steel Traders, Lahore. In this case, the accused persons were found involved in violation of Public Procurement Rules, 2004. Without advertising in the press, the officials of Pakistan Railways in connivance with the contractor M/s Pak Steel Traders, Lahore awarded contract for procurement of 500 million tons of pig iron to M/s Pak Steel Traders, Lahore and thus caused millions of rupees loss to the national exchequer. The Executive Board Meeting (EBM) decided to authorise three (3) inquiries. First inquiry was authorised against officers/officials of Agricultural Department Peshawar and others namely Arbab Saadullah Khan, ex-MNA / ex chairman PMC, Saifullah Khan, ex-government eervant, Usman Alam Jhagra, Public Office Holder/ ex-chairman PMC, Malik Muhammad Ali Sohni, public office holder / ex-vice chairman PMC and others. They were accused of misappropriation, embezzlement of government funds in plot scam of fruit and vegetable market, Peshawar causing loss of Rs129.99 million to the national exchequer. The second inquiry was authorised against officers/officials of University of Peshawar namely Dr. Azmat Hayat Khan, ex-vice chancellor University of Peshawar, Dr. Sanaullah, ex-treasurer University of Peshawar, Sherin Zada Khattak, ex-registrar, University of Peshawar, Dr. Shafiq ur Rehman, ex-dean environmental sciences and Dr. Farrukh Hussain, ex-dean, environmental sciences University of Peshawar. They were accused of purchasing land on exorbitant rates for Peshawar University Welfare Foundation and Campus-II of University of Peshawar at Azakhel, Nowshera and thus causing loss of Rs100 million to the national exchequer. The third inquiry was authorised against officers/officials of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan namely Dr. Ihsan Ali, vice chancellor of Abdul Wali Khan University, Sher Ali, Registrar and Dr. Muhammad Amin, Director Wali Khan University, Mardan. They were accused of irregularities in appointments in both teaching and non-teaching cadres as well as embezzlement in funds. They made more than 700 appointments without meeting codal formalities. The board decided closure of three inquiries against Ms. Naheed Khan, Tahir Basharat Cheema, ex-managing director PEPCO and Javed Iqbal, ex-chief secretary KPK due to lack of incriminating evidence. Chairman NAB Qamar Zaman Chaudhry reiterated his determination for eradication of corruption and corrupt practices by adopting holistic and proactive approach to check corruption and corrupt practices through awareness, prevention and enforcement strategy. He directed all officers/officials of NAB to put in their best efforts in conduct of complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations against the corrupt in accordance with law, transparently and on merit.
