ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal on Monday ordered an inquiry against Housing Minister Akram Durrani for alleged illegal allotment of plots in different areas of Islamabad on the land of the Pakistan Housing Foundation.

According to an official press release, illegal allotments in sectors I-12 and I-16 have caused a loss of billions of rupees to the exchequer.

In another case, Rawalpindi NAB recovered Rs3.6bn in the decade-old scam of rental power projects (RPPs).

A NAB spokesman said 11 references had been filed in the accountability court of Islamabad, including Karkey (a Turkish ship-mounted power plant), Piranghaib power plant in Multan, Sahuwal power plant in Sialkot, Guddu power plant in Sindh, Naudero-I and II in Sindh, Summundri power plant, Reshma power generation, Raiwind; Young Gen power, Bhikki power plant in Sheikhupura, and Gulf rental power.

Rs3.6bn recovered in rental power projects scam

The accused in the RPPs references included former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, former finance minister Shaukat Tarin, former federal secretary Ismail Qureshi and chairman of the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), former secretary Shahid Rafi and former managing director of Pepco Tahir Basharat Cheema.

One of the cases in which some government functionaries / officials have been accused of awarding a contract to GE Sherkpur power plant is at the investigation stage.

Rawalpindi NAB director general Irfan Naeem Mangi appreciated the efforts made by NAB investigators Gul Anwer, Asghar Khan, Hina Faisal and Hammad Khan Niazi in RPPs cases who recovered over Rs3.6bn.

NAB is investigating 12 cases as nine firms reportedly received more than Rs22bn as mobilisation advance from the government to commission the projects but most are accused of not setting up their plants. A few others did install the plans but with an inordinate delay.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2018