Pakistan

Overdue national census: IHC seeks reply from govt functionaries

IHC grants bail to one of the two officials accused of involvement in a multi-million rupee rental power project

Our Correspondent February 23, 2015

Petitioner Iftikhar Hussain maintained that a census has not been held since 1998, despite the legal obligation to hold one after every ten years. PHOTO: IHC WEBSITE

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued notices to top government functionaries on a petition seeking court directions to hold national census.

Justice Athar Minallah heard a related petition on Monday and issued notices to the finance and statistics division secretaries, the chief election commissioner, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics chief statistics officer, and the Council of Common Interest chairman. The court sought their replies within two weeks.

Petitioner Iftikhar Hussain maintained that a census has not been held since 1998, despite the legal obligation to hold one after every ten years.

Petitioner’s counsel Yasir Chaudhry argued that government officials seemed uninterested in conducting a population census as they have not sent any proposal to the prime minister, despite the passage of 17 years.

Bail granted

The IHC has granted bail to one of the two officials accused of involvement in a multi-million rupee rental power project (RPP) scam.

The court granted bail to NA Zuberi, a former Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) managing director (MD), but rejected bail for Anwar Brohi, CEO of Lakhra Generation Company.

A two-member IHC bench, comprising Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi and Justice Aamir Faooq, announced the decision.

Zuberi was allegedly involved in amending the request for proposal for rental power contracts with Lakhra Power Generation Company and Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim for the RPP’s installation.

Zuberi’s lawyer said his client was neither part of the Cabinet committee, nor the PPIB board at the time.

He added that decisions regarding drafting of the relevant contracts and any amendments were taken by the then-PM, his cabinet, and the ECC. “He was made a scapegoat to protect some influential people,” Barrister Ali Zafar said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2015.