ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Monday directed the authorities concerned not to allow the Turkish Power Ship, Karkey, to sail out of Pakistan until recovery of Rs22 billion.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, resumed hearing a suo moto over non-implementation of court’s RPP judgment and also issued notice to Karkey Power Project administration on its advertisement in newspapers on a sub judice matter.
The court also directed Attorney General Irfan Qadir and PML-Q leader Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat to coordinate with each other on the recovery of amount from the Rental Power Plants (RPP) in pursuance of the court verdict.
The attorney general informed the court that the other day the NAB chairman had engaged him to appear on behalf of NAB in the instant matter.
He contended that if the Turkish Rental Power Ship—Karkey—would opt international arbitration on the matter than fall out of this move would be very damaging for Pakistan, The AG prayed the court to show restraint in this matter.
PML-Q leader Faisal Saleh contended that NAB’s deal with Karkey was in sheer violation and contravention of the Supreme Court verdict on the RPPs. He also contended that due to the underhand deal, country would face loss of Rs22 billions.
He further said that court had recovered huge amount from five rental power companies whereas rest of the four had to pay the outstanding amount.
The chief justice directed the authorities concerned from letting the Rental Power Ship Karkey from sailing outside Pakistan until recovery of Rs22 billion.
Later, the court directed the attorney general to prepare the case in eight days and adjourned the hearing till November 20.
Similarly, the said bench, while hearing the Rico Deq case, questioned the Balochistan government’s effort to settle out of court settlement of Ric Deq matter with Tethyan Copper Company (TCC).
The bench was hearing identical petitions, filed against leasing out gold and copper mines, including a world’s biggest gold mine having worth over $260-billion situated at Rico Deq, in Balochistan, to the foreign companies by the federal government.
Raza Kazim, the lawyer for the petitioner Maulana Abdul Haq Baloch, told the bench that the federal government had sent a summery to the Balochistan government for settling the matter with TCC out of court.
He further raised objection to the proceedings of International Chamber of Commerce in London and International Counci for Settlement on Investment Disputes.
The TCC had filed for international arbitration in November 2010 to protect its legal rights after Balochistan rejected its mining lease application.
The chief justice asked Ahmar Bilal Sufi, counsel for the Balochistan government that why did not they request the international arbitration to adjourn this matter till the disposal of Rico Deq case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Sufi informed the court that they had given some time in this regard, but the court did not take up this matter during this period.
The chief justice, however, observed as to why the Balochistan government did not file a written request in the court for the early hearing of the case.
