SC directs NAB to detain Turkish RPP till Rs27b arrears cleared

Chief justice says national treasury being burdened under the garb of plea-bargaining.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Thursday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to assure the court that the Turkish ship-mounted rental power plant Karkey  will not be allowed to leave till the company clears its arrears, Express News reported.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the rental power case in the Supreme Court.

Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid's (PML-Q) leader in the National Assembly Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat said that NAB was trying to resolve the matter in its own way.

He said that although Rs27 billion needed to be recovered from Karkey, the company was being pardoned Rs22 billion and was being told to leave.

The chief justice remarked how such matters could be resolved outside the court. He said that the case could also be handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Justice Chaudhry said that billions of rupees were being sent out of the country and NAB had been expected to act quickly in this regard.

But, he said, excuses were being made instead and that the national treasury was being burdened on the name of plea-bargaining with Karkey.

The hearing was adjourned till November 12 whereas the cases pertaining to Chichoki Mallian and Nandi Pur were adjourned for two weeks.

Officials from the Ministry for Water and Power said that if given more time, both the projects would be enabled.

In the previous hearing, the court had given NAB 24 hours to submit a report over allegations of the existence of an underhand deal of the bureau with Turkish Karkey.