ISLAMABAD: An accountability court here on Friday issued warrants for the arrest of former managing director Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) in the rental power project case.

The court issued the arrest warrants for Fayyaz Ilahi, the co-accused in the Naudero-I case, for his continuous absence from the court proceedings.

During a hearing of the same case, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf appeared before the court and through Advocate Amjad Iqbal Qureshi submitted an application for exemption from personal appearances.

Mr Ashraf also appeared in another rental power case, the RPP Samundri corruption reference. The proceedings in both the cases have been adjourned till October 20.

In the RPP Samundri case, the former prime minister has already filed an application seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court.

Mr Ashraf, through his lawyer, told the court that he was unable to appear before the court at every hearing due to security reasons.

Talking to the media afterwards, Mr Ashraf said a person’s life could end before a case was decided.

Mr Ashraf said the PPP was not the only party involved in corruption cases as the prime minister and Imran Khan were also being accused of corruption.

Mr Ashraf said he was not being accused of corruption as the current cases related to the misuse of authority.

Both the rental power cases, Naudero-I and Samundri, are references against former PPP government officials, alleging that they had misused power to install expensive power projects that cost the national exchequer billions of rupees in losses.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed corruption cases against the PPP government for installing power projects such as Naudero, Sajuwal, Peeran Ghain and Karkey. These cases are pending before Islamabad accountability courts.

Published in Dawn, October 10th , 2015

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