Nandipur power project: AC indicts Babar Awan, Raja Pervaiz, five others

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court, Islamabad on Monday indicted former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, former law minister Babar Awan and five others in the Nandipur power project reference.

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik on Monday resumed the hearing into the Nandipur power project reference in which former PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, former law minister Babar Awan, former law secretary Riaz Kiyani, Masood Chishti, former consultant Shamila Mahmood, former joint secretary Riaz Mehmood and former secretary Shahid Rafi were nominated as accused. During the hearing, accountability Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik read out charges against the accused.

According to the indictment, Babar Awan being law minister, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf being the minister for water and power and other accused delayed the project which caused a loss of Rs27 billion to the national exchequer.

All the accused including Babar Awan and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, however, rejected the charges as the court indicted them. Babar Awan requested the court to start hearing into this case on a daily basis, as they have been facing media trial for the last 7 years. He requested the court to summon all the witnesses on the next hearing.

To this NAB prosecutor, argued in the court that the witness who has to submit documents should be called first to record his statement. The NAB prosecutor further requested the court that they need some time to prepare the evidence. The accountability court judge remarked that the court will conclude this case very soon.

While directing the NAB to present the witnesses to record their testimonies, the court adjourned the hearing till March 19. The Nandipur power project worth $329 million was approved in 2007 by the Economic Coordination Committee. To get a legal opinion, the Ministry of Water and Power approached the Ministry of Law in 2008. However, with mala fide intentions, the projected was delayed, which caused Rs27 billion loss to the national exchequer.