PM’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan was one of the accused in a reference filed by NAB against alleged corruption in the 425MW Nandipur Power Project. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: The country’s top graft buster – the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) – has once again sought more time from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to present its own appeal against the acquittal of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan in the Nandipur Power Project case.
No NAB official had appeared before an IHC division bench, headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, last week – June 3 – when it resumed hearing of the appeal filed in July 2019.
Babar Awan was one of the accused in a reference filed by NAB against alleged corruption in the 425MW Nandipur Power Project – a combined cycle thermal power plant whose construction started in 2008 during the PPP’s last government.
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NAB had accused Awan – who was the federal minister for law then – as well as former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf of causing delay in approval of the project – a delay that resulted in tremendous escalation of the project cost.
An accountability court in June last year acquitted Awan and former secretary law Justice (retd) Riaz Kiyani but dismissed the acquittal plea of former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and two other accused – Riaz Mehmood, and Shumaila Mehmood.
Later on July 5, 2019, NAB filed an appeal in the IHC against Awan’s acquittal.
On Monday, when the IHC bench also comprising Justice Aamer Farooq resumed hearing of the case, NAB prosecutor sought more time for pleading the case.
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Justice Minalla asked NAB prosecutor how the accountability court could hold trial of other accused when Awan, who was facing the same charges, has been acquitted.
“There were similar evidence against all suspects but some have been acquitted while others are still facing trial as accused,” he observed. Later, the bench adjourned hearing of the case till June 25.
The court has not yet issued any notice to Awan, who has recently been included in the federal cabinet as an adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs. The court had earlier ordered its registrar office to club all appeals with regard to Nandipur project.
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