ISLAMABAD, August 9: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to provide complete record of the investigations of the Nandipur project scandal
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday resumed hearing the Nandipur power project case, which was reopened on Wednesday.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case.
As the hearing went under way, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor informed the court that the inquiry against Nandipur power project was pending. “Since when has the inquiry been pending?” the chief justice inquired, as he summoned details of other references pending with the anti-graft bureau.
The NAB prosecutor apprised the court that the inquiry began on February 20, 2017; however, the law ministry had delayed it by two years. “The inquiry is in its final stages,” the prosecutor said. He also informed the SC bench that the probe into outsourcing the power project commenced earlier this year in June.
“How many inquiries, in total, are pending with NAB?” the chief justice inquired, “We have to determine who is responsible for wrapping up all pending inquiries. Is NAB unaccountable for all these delays?”
The top judge then ordered the bureau to check if its former chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry was in Islamabad to appear before the court. “Let us take up a case against the former NAB chairman for the delay,” Justice Saqib Nisar said.
Expressing his annoyance with the prolonged time taken to wrap up cases, the chief justice remarked that strict action will be taken against any inquiry officer found guilty of delaying corruption inquires. – Sabah
