P M to be arrested

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Re: P M to be arrested

The bottom line of Rental power scam.. National kitty is paying over 40 billion per annum without getting any significant electricity in the national grid. The cost of rental electricity is over 80 cents per unit (around Rs. 75 per unit) as on today for this nation.

It is a positive sign if someone who was the main responsible individual for this kind of waste of public money is being ordered by the SC to be arrested for further investigation. PPP should not have made him the PM knowing he was the main accused in this scam. An other suspected criminal who can not justify his huge known assets with any source of income is the present President of Pakistan.. Democracy does not mean that you should leave every criminal without investigation..

I welcome SC's decision to arrest a suspected criminal for further investigation for such a huge loss to the nation.. what-so-ever is the timing..

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But why arrest him? Has the SC delivered a verdict? Have the accused been found guilty and sentences handed out? My sense is that the case is still ongoing.

Why on earth does the PM need to be locked up then? Keep the case going and if he is found guilty, put him in jail. He's not going to vanish if not arrested right away. Why add to the uncertainty?

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One year ago, SC declared RPP contracts illegal and NAB, being the anti corruption authority, was ordered to 'take action' against the accused, including Raja Rental.

Nothing of the sort has been done by NAB so far, which incidentally is being headed by Agosta Subarine fame Admiral Fasih Bukhari.

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^^^ So, who is going to arrest the PM? All executive departments working under the PM, including prosecutors and the attorney general. Is the court going to be judge jury & the executioner?

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Former Oklahoma Gov. David Walters surprised by arrest of Pakistani | Tulsa World

Former Gov. David Walters says he is surprised that the Pakistani Supreme Court ordered Tuesday the arrest of that nation’s prime minister in a controversy tied to him, but he doesn’t expect the case will ever be turned to him.

“This in an internal political fight,” Walters said. “They’re much more interested in trying to embarrass the sitting government (than pursuing Walters). They know there’s not evidence.”

Walters Power International was part of a group that contracted to build gas-powered electrical generators in Pakistan, but a variety of technical and political problems short-circuited the deal, which has become a political scandal.

In the latest development, the nation’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and a number of other officials on allegations of illegal payments in the deal. Before he was elected prime minister, Ashraf led the nation’s water and power utility.

Walters said the issue has been thoroughly reviewed by the National Accountability Bureau - an independent review arm of Pakistan’s government - and the U.S. Justice Department, and neither found any evidence of corruption.

But political opponents of Ashraf and President Asif Ali Zardari are determined to keep the controversy roiling in an attempt to influence the country’s upcoming national elections, Walters said.

“The Supreme Court seems intent on trying to make sure the ruling power doesn’t return to power,” Walters said. “It’s kind of hard, when they’re on a rampage, to know what’s the appropriate counter for them.”

When his company’s contracts with Pakistan’s government went awry, Walters turned to the London Court of International Arbitration, which led to a negotiated deal with the National Accountability Bureau. As part of that deal, Walters’ group can take its generating equipment out of the country. He also considered a defamation suit against his accusers, but ultimately abandoned the idea as too expensive.

Although Walters has continued to try to look at investment opportunities in Pakistan, he said the continuing political turmoil and judicial interference are poisoning the business climate.

Pakistan has a large, industrious population and many resources needed for development, he said.

“For the Supreme Court to rip up all the normal commercial standards of security and contract law as a means to embarrass the government and to influence the elections is really too bad,” Walters said. “They seem to have taken it to a step that is to terribly damaging for investment that I’m not sure how new businesses would make investment in Pakistan in light of this.”

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As I have already said, I am not sure if SC has authority to order arrests like that.

I was just replying to the comment that if any investigation or persecution has already been carried out. Ideally, NAB should be an independent body, which could make such arrests. Unfortunately, we do not have such concepts as independent anti-corruption organizations. Ah well, the audit department of any decent country would already have moved courts against such blatant transgressions even before going to anti-corruption.

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Unfortunately any action against criminals is considered anti democratic in our country. Leave independent enquiry-investigation.. here murderers somehow leave the country after committing murder in the presence of hundreds of people without any record of their departure at our airports (Sikandar Jatoi's son).. surely with democratic government's support.. (Our democratic government has earned a perception-reputation of being criminal protector)

Until now nothing illegal against the government has happened. Let's save our comments of dissent till something illegal happens vis-a-vis democratically elected government. Court is acting in accordance with the law in view of a huge crime which has happened against the people of Pakistan.. apparently by the sitting PM who is generally called Raja Rental by the public. Let the law take it's course..

Until something unconstitutional happens.. let's not start this democracy "matam"...

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Of course, he would say that. What do you expect him to say? “Yes, I bribed them”?

Asian Development Bank said rental power was a stupid idea. Even auditor general of Pakistan said it is financially a terrible idea. The government went ahead and signed 19 contracts anyways. If it was not kickbacks, what else was the motive? The plants had absolutely no feasibility for compensating the long-term and huge energy shortage that we face.

More of less what happened with IPPs in earlier PPP term. Benazir should not have died but lived in a jail for that. Raja Rental should not have lived in PM house but in jail in the last few months as well.

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^^^ If there weren't any IPP would load shedding situation be better or worse today? Btw, if people don't want to build dams, and don't like IPPs, how would electricity be generated? Its easy to criticize others decisions, its hard to come up with solutions to real problems.

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It would have been much better today without IPPs. If people don't want to build dams, bribe them to shut their mouth up instead of bribing corporations to set up IPPs which put so much strain on oil imports. Oil imports that we cannot afford. Circular debt, anyone?

Now be fair and tell me: "In the long run, what would have been more beneficial to Pakistan. Building IPPs or building dams?" If your answer to this questions is building dams, then I have a lot of doubt over sincerity of the "people who don't want to build dams" for the country. We talk of dialogue with India but not willing to do so within the country?

PPP knows it is here for short term. Jitna maal banana hai jaldi jaldi bana lo. Also read the PPP manifesto before those elections. They wanted to 'reduce reliance on fuel for generating electricity' in that document.

BTW, the French Chateau resulted from those IPPs. ;-)

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It’s a bit more complicated than that.. people expect a democratically elected government to give a good management to the country as well. What’s the use of setting IPP’s if the gas which can produce cheap electricity is diverted to Captive plants-CNG sector and these IPPs remain closed. The democratic government takes bribes from lobbies like CNG, Captive plants and fertilizer sector and closes down the IPPs which according to government’s own stated policy must have priority over all these sectors. Resultantly government pays Rs. 500 billion as subsidy to captive power sector, Rs. 500 billion as a loss to PEPCO..

All the money which should have been spent on education and health for the poor masses have been transferred to lobbies after making a fortune for the democratic leaders of democratically elected government..

Sorry to derail the thread.. just read the article below to understand how billions of public money have been lost.. why these proposals which were from a report of Ministry of water and power did not get implemented..??? They could have saved Rs.1000 billion to national exchequer annually and reduced the load shedding by 80%.. all within available resources and infra structure.. This money could have been spent on social sector instead..

Doing away with subsidies: Plan under study to up gas supply to power plants – The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:
As power outages worsen sparking protests across the country, a plan is under study to divert gas allocated to compressed natural gas (CNG) stations and captive power plants to power companies in a bid to produce cheap electricity and end swelling subsidy.
An official of the Ministry of Water and Power said the plan was being discussed with relevant ministries in order to ease the energy crisis and end tariff differential claims – the difference between cost of power produced and tariff charged from consumers.
“A strategy is being followed to discourage consumption of CNG to spare gas for power plants. In addition to this, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources is working on a plan to stop gas supply to the captive power plants of industries within six months,” the official said.
The petroleum ministry has recently proposed enhancing the gas infrastructure development cess on CNG, which will add Rs15 per kg to the price from next financial year 2012-13. CNG dealers are being asked to switch to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
According to sources, the government has actually violated the gas allocation policy since 2005 by reducing supplies to power plants and giving preference to other sectors. Though the general industry and CNG outlets were on fourth position in the priority list of the gas allocation policy, gas supply to industries rose by 34% (766 million cubic feet per day) and CNG stations by 363% (310 mmcfd) over the seven-year period.
However, gas allocation to power plants – third in the priority list – dropped from 44% (1,381 mmcfd) in financial year 2005 to 27% (924 mmcfd) in financial year 2011.
“This reduction in gas allocation to power companies has been mainly met by increased reliance on expensive furnace oil for electricity production, which has pushed up determined power tariff by 88% since financial year 2005,” the water and power ministry official said.
As a result, tariff differential claims of power companies rose by an average of 51% per annum to Rs343 billion in financial year 2011 compared to Rs44 billion in 2006. The tariff differential claims stood at Rs60 billion in 2007, Rs134 billion in 2008, Rs112 billion in 2009 and Rs180 billion in 2010.
Captive power plants consume an estimated 1,250 mmcfd of gas, of which 250 mmcfd is used by Karachi plants alone. “The captive power plants have resulted in the formation of a parallel power sector, which benefits only a limited number of industries at the cost of load-shedding for the entire nation,” the official commented.
In the case of CNG outlets, gas consumption has increased by 363% from financial year 2005 to 2011 because of it being 33% cheaper than petrol and high-speed diesel.
“CNG is normally used in cars owned by middle and high-income classes, but the entire nation bears the burden of this subsidised fuel in the form of high electricity prices,” an official of the petroleum ministry said.
“Diverting 310 mmcfd of gas from CNG outlets to power plants will save Rs183 billion ($2 billion) on account of lower furnace oil consumption and increase in power generation by 1,300 megawatts,” the official said.
On the other hand, the supply of 800 mmcfd of gas, consumed by captive power plants, to power companies can save Rs473 billion ($5.2 billion) and increase power output by 3,350 megawatts.
This increase in gas supply to the power plants will leave a positive impact on the overall economy. “It will reduce load-shedding by 80% and increase power generation by 4,600 megawatts,” the official said, adding it would also help eliminate tariff differential claims, leading to a sharp decrease in fiscal deficit to 4.6% of GDP from 6.6% in financial year 2011.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2012.

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I'm sorry to derail the thread too but it is not only democratically elected governments, but also the dictatorships. The indiscriminate issuance of licenses to open CNG filling stations and erect cellular towers wherever they wanted was terrible for the country too. We see a few CNG stations on almost all busy roads and even streets in residential areas now. Who were issuing such licenses? They would all go defunct as we run out of natural gas and as predicted Pakistan would be a graveyard of CNG cylinders, car kits and mobile phone towers in a few years. Someone should investigate that fiasco too.

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Apart from the kickbacks, and exorbitant costs, there was no electricity being generated through those RPPs anway because there isnt enough gas in the country to run those plants. Burning all those dollars would have perhaps generated more energy.

In the absence of electricity, the public looks for something concrete being done.....eg, dams being built, or coal power being funded. They could have started work on coal power generation with that money, and they could have had something to show for after 5 years, but they figured that filling their own pockets was more important, as BBs sympathy vote would only give them one election at best.

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And you were arguing with me that CJ or SC has no authority to arrest any one in ISI/military corrupting anti-PPP politicians. Now where that power of arrest of sitting PM comes from? From his filthy behind?

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He is still in Pakistan. Any ideas when is he fleeing to Dubai? Looks like that this Zeene News Bureau is operating from red light areas.

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ummmm... did you read the first line of my post?

Anyways, in this case I think NAB did not act for several months even after getting sufficient evidence of wrong-doings on the part of then minister bijli and now raja rental and the court has directed them to move ahead with their procedures. I have not read the order, so I am not sure.

BTW, has the government filed any corruption case against any 'anti-PPP politician'? oh wait, corruption is halal in their eyes!

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Did you pass 5th grade?

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I would be interested to know which people the SC has ordered to be arrested. As a I know of some one who is innocent but was on a wrong post at the wrong time. The government with the help of NAB are trying to book the innocents instead of the big fishes responsible for this mess.

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so kya bana, 24 hours tu ho gai :hmmm:

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*This mental CJ has decided cases which were in favor of PPP by making PPP resposible to take action. If he has powers to order arrest of sitting PM because NAB did not take any action. On the same logic he should now order arrest of all politicians who took money from ISI also order arrest of Mirza Aslam Bag and other generals involving in corruption also order arrest of his son who got moneys for in the foreign countries? If not, then this CJ is prejudice and partial has no right to remain in the office as CJ.
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