An accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday discharged former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and several other individuals in three high-profile references linked to the controversial Rental Power Projects (RPPs), effectively concluding a set of cases that had long symbolised alleged financial irregularities during the PPP-led government of 2008–2013, according to media reports.Â
In the Karkey Ship Rental Power reference, the court discharged 11 individuals, including Ashraf, in a case where the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had accused them of corruption amounting to Rs22 billion.Â
The reference stemmed from a contract with the Turkish energy firm Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim A.S., which also pursued a $1.2 billion arbitration claim against Pakistan at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). That claim was eventually withdrawn after behind-the-scenes negotiations led by the Pakistani government.
In a separate reference concerning the Bhikki Power Project in Sheikhupura, six individuals, including a former chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), were also discharged.Â
Meanwhile, in the Sharqpur Power Project case, the court acquitted all accused, bringing an end to proceedings in all three major RPP-related cases.
The Rental Power Projects had been launched during the previous PPP government as a stopgap measure to address the country’s power shortages, but the initiative soon came under scrutiny over alleged corruption, procedural flaws, and lack of transparency.
