Karkey RPP case: AC reserves verdict on acquittal pleas of ex-PM Ashraf, others

The Accountability Court Thursday reserved its verdict regarding acquittal pleas filed by former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and others in Karkey Rental Power Plant (RPP) case till March 10th. The Accountability Court judge, Azam Khan, while hearing the case reserved its verdict on the acquittal pleas filed by Ashraf, Shumaila Mehmood, Masood Chishti and others before the court under the NAB Amendment Ordinance, 2019.

Ashraf's counsel, while arguing before the court, said that no allegation had been leveled with respect to corruption against his client in the reference filed by the NAB. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted bail to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal on grounds that neither they took bribe nor any financial benefit.

He requested the court to acquit his client from the reference. The PPP leader, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, is accused of misusing his authority during his tenure as federal minister for water and power to get approval from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) for an increase in the down payment to the rental power companies from seven to 14 percent, amounting to about Rs22 billion.

The bureau is investigating all 12 RPPs and has filed references in cases including Turkish ship-mounted power plant (Karkey), Piran Ghaib Power Plant (Multan), Sahiwal Power Plant, Guddu Power Plant, Naudero-I Power Plant, Naudero-II Power Plant, Reshma Power Generation (Raiwind), Young Gen Power (Ltd) Bhikki, Gulf Rental Power (Pvt) Ltd, and 150MW Sharaqpur RPP.