STAFF REPORTER
ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday decided to make the power sector inquiry report public about the billions of rupees alleged irregularities in the power sector involving federal cabinet members. The decision was taken during a federal cabinet meeting here chaired by the premier. The development comes a day after Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar had proposed to make the explosive power sector inquiry report public to avoid allegations of protecting the government’s vested interests, as the findings revealed the masked details of investors’ favoured deals. However, the Ministry of Energy has opposed the move to make the report public, fearing that it may have implications for Pakistan’s relations with other countries. Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan’s former chairman Mohammad Ali-led inquiry committee has submitted its findings on the power sector projects that the government of Pakistan contracted since 1994. The findings showed that the deals were signed at the expense of interests of the consumers and the government. The names of prime minister’s aides Razak Dawood and Nadeem Baber are among the beneficiaries of the investors’ favoured deals, although nothing illegal has been committed. The Planning Minister speaking to the media after the cabinet meeting stated that the commission will be tasked to complete its report within 90 days. He added that the commission will carry out a detailed investigation using forensics to come to its findings. Umar stated that ensuring transparency in governance was the government’s number one priority. He added that the report pointed out that the law was violated by those involved in the power sector. The minister stated that the the federal cabinet has also decided to form an inquiry commission to investigate those accused of corruption in the power sector. “Government institutions are also involved in corruption,” stated Umar. He added that the commission of inquiry is being formed under the law and the government will not forgive anyone who violated the law. Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan stated the Cabinet approved the decision made by the Cabinet Committee for Power on April 20. She added that the cabinet also approved the amendments in the Ogra Ordinance. Dr Awan shared that Prime Minister Imran Khan also approved the removal of the chairman of the competitive commission. She added that the cabinet also approved the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on law. She shared that the cabinet has also decided that government employees will be asked to stay in their allotted houses for six months after retirement. She added that the cabinet also decided to formulate a single policy regarding government housing. The inquiry committee, formed to probe the alleged minting of billions of rupees by Independent Power Plants (IPPs), had pointed out that the power sector is incurring a loss of Rs1bn per day. The committee was formed on the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The committee pointed out that Pakistanis were being provided electricity at the most expensive rate in the region. It said that private companies pro- vided false oil statistics to secure better tariffs. In ac- cordance with the power private companies invested Rs50.80bn and to date, have earned a profit of Rs415bn. The committee further said that investors of these private companies paid 22 times the profit to their business partners. The power generating companies portrayed they had used more oil to produce electricity when they had, in fact, made use of less oil. As per the inquiry committee’s findings, these companies earned an additional Rs64.22bn over the past nine years because of the oil figures they showed. By the same proportion, these companies will earn Rs145.23bn more in the future, said the inquiry committee. In its recommendations, the inquiry committee called on the government to recover additional payments made to private power companies. It said that profit to these power companies should be paid in rupees instead of dollars. Prime Minister Imran Khan said that religious figures and Ulema agreed on the government’s twenty precautionary points for opening of mosques. He said if precautionary measures are not taken by people in mosques and there are reports of spread of virus, the decision can be reviewed by the government. Expressing his views on the coronavirus pandemic and other important issues in Islamabad on Tuesday, he said the whole world is facing the negative impacts of the pandemic. He said the countries facing higher number of mortalities due to the virus are now also debating the economic impact of lockdown. He said everywhere now there are discussions of relaxing the lockdown to restart economic activity. Imran Khan said 192 persons have lost their lives in Pakistan so far. In USA, Britain, Italy and Spain, thousands of people have died by this killer bug. He said lockdown cannot remain in force in any country for indefinite period as no one knows when the pandemic will end.
