The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to former federal law minister Babar Awan and ex-law secretary Masood Chishti for not approving ''Bill of Lading'' for the machinery and equipment of Nandipur and Chichokimallian power projects, which caused a loss of Rs 113 billions to the national exchequer.
A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing a petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz central leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif. The bench re-directed secretaries Ministry of Water and Power and Ministry of Finance to submit a joint report about the delay in the execution of projects. The bench also said that the ministry for water and power should appoint an officer at Karachi port for the inspection of heavy machinery and a report should also be submitted in the court regarding the condition of that machinery.
According to the one-member commission report of retired Justice Rehmat Hussain Jafri, a loss of Rs 113 billion was caused to the public exchequer due to delay in the execution of contract of Nandipur and Chichokimallian. During the hearing, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said the then law minister and law secretary delayed the approval of the projects for more than a year. Later, the hearing was adjourned till June 20.