Rental power case: AJK parliamentarian moves court for bail

Former president’s son claims NAB’s investigation is complete

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has told the national anti-graft body to submit a report explaining how a Turkish power plant ship left the country despite apex court orders restricting its movement. The IHC has also asked the National Accountability Bureau to file comments on the bail application of Raja Babar Ali Zulqarnain in the case.

A divisional bench comprising of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani from the IHC gave the directions. Justice Siddiqui said the Supreme Court had given direction to ensure that the ship stays within the remits of Pakistan, and that the ship appears to have returned to Turkey. “We want to know who authorised removal of the ship from the remits of Pakistan,” he inquired.

The NAB prosecutor was also asked to submit a report and file comments over the bail application of Raja Babar Ali Zulqarnain, an elected member of Azad Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, within 10 days.

Zulqarnain, the son of former AJK president Raja Zulqarnain, is currently in jail on judicial remand in connection with a rental power project scam. He has moved the court against NAB, maintaining that the bureau has completed its investigation, and that he should be released on bail.

Zulqarnain was arrested on January 21 from the premises of IHC, following the dismissal of his bail application in the case. According to the anti-graft body, Zulqarnain made the contractual arrangement between the government and company for electricity supply via a ship-mounted power plant.

He was appointed to act as a local representative for Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim, when NAB launched a probe into the rental power projects on allegations of corruption and misuse of authority,

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2016.