Rental power case: Remand of former AJK president’s son extended

Judge Nisar Baig extended the remand after NAB produced Zulqarnain before an accountability court

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court extended on Tuesday physical custody remand of the son of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) president for six days to the national anti-graft body.

Raja Babar Ali Zulqarnain will remain in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Judge Nisar Baig extended the remand after NAB officials produced him before the court.

Zulqarnain was arrested on January 21 from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) following the dismissal of his bail application in connection with the rental power project case.

According to the anti-corruption body, Zulqarnain, who is also an elected member of the AJK legislative assembly, made the contractual arrangement between the federal government and a private company for electricity supply through a ship-mounted power facility.

Zulqarnain was appointed to act as the local representative for the Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim — a Turkish company which set up a power plant onboard a ship berthed at the Karachi port — to provide electricity to the national grid and logistical support to the visiting representatives of the company.

When NAB launched a probe into the rental power projects on allegations of corruption and misuse of authority, Zulqarnain and 27 others were investigated, following which the anti-graft body submitted a reference in an accountability court.

Earlier, NAB had directed Zulqarnain to provide details of remuneration and any other payments from the company into his bank account, as well as a record of taxes paid on payments received, his employment contract with the company, and details of meetings held with government officials on behalf of the company.

Zulqarnain’s counsel had informed the court that his client had incurred expenses on behalf of the company for meeting local expenses and the establishment of a local office, and claimed that the same were reimbursed.

The counsel for the ex-AJK president’s son maintained that Zulqarnain had not only appeared before the investigation officer of NAB several times, and reiterated that the information requested had already provided.

He further alleged that NAB was coercing Zulqarnain to become a friend of the prosecution, which was an unacceptable condition for him.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2016.