Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has been discharged from multiple National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references related to the rental power projects.
The accountability court in Islamabad, presided over by Judge Ali Warraich, announced the decision on Tuesday, clearing Ashraf and several others from cases linked to the Sharaqpur, Bhakki and Karkey projects.
The Karkey reference had alleged corruption worth Rs22 billion, while the Turkish company Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim (KKEU) had also filed a Rs200 billion damages claim.
The claim was later amicably resolved following the intervention of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In the Sheikhupura reference concerning the Bhakki power project, valued at Rs96 billion, the court discharged the former Wapda chairman and six others. Those named in the Sharaqpur power reference were also cleared.
This is not the first time Ashraf has been exonerated in rental power-related cases. In 2020, he was acquitted in the Pira Ghaib rental power plant reference.
The rental power projects were initiated under the PPP government in 2008-09 to address the electricity shortfall. However, several companies, including Karkey, failed to meet delivery commitments.
Karkey’s contract, worth $564.6 million, required the supply of 231 megawatts to the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO), but the project underperformed, incurring significant costs to Pakistan.
Following disputes, Karkey pursued arbitration at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), leading to an award against Pakistan.
The eventual waiver of the penalty followed diplomatic negotiations between Pakistan and Turkey.
