Apex court to take up key cases this week

Hearings of petitions challenging NAB chief's appointment, alleged breaches in embankments, rental power cases.

ISLAMABAD: The case related to the disputed appointment of the Chairman National Accountability Bureau, Syed Deedar Hussain Shah, is to be heard by the Supreme Court on Monday.

The final cause list issued on Saturday by the august court stated that the three-member bench, headed by Justice Javed Iqbal, would hear two similar petitions challenging the NAB chief’s appointment.

On the same day, another three-member bench presided over by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry would hear the suo motu case on unauthorised diversion of floodwaters and alleged breaches in protective embankments initiated on the application of Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, a former judge and senior advocate and Deputy Chairman of Senate Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali.

Meanwhile, the court has clubbed the constitutional petition of Marvi Memon on the consequences of devastation caused by floods that hit Pakistan in July and August and their aftermath along with two human rights applications filed by Dr Asad Leghari and Muhammad Rahim Baloch and a civil miscellaneous application filed by Zahida Thebo with the suo motu case.

On Tuesday, the court would resume the hearing of a case against the installation of rental power projects. During the previous hearing, the apex court had summoned, the chairman of Nepra, generation companies concerned, secretary for Wapda, officials of Pepco and Hubco, including the distribution companies associated with the rental power projects to explain their positions.

After two days, the court would resume the hearing of another suo motu case regarding loan write-offs. On the last hearing, the court had directed State Bank of Pakistan to reissue notices to 50 companies and individuals, telling them to appear before the court.

The sources said that the State Bank has issued notices to all banks concerned and a meeting has been scheduled to be held in Karachi in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2010.