Thar coal project
\nINP
\nISLAMABAD
\nThe Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to take action against nuclear scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand and others responsible for losses caused to the national exchequer in Thar coal gasification project.
\nA three-member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, referred the project to the corruption watchdog, with instructions to investigate the individuals in light of the final audit report of the project, which was presented by the Auditor General of Pakistan in court today. The SC on October 18 had ordered a forensic audit of the Thar coal project, directing the NAB to probe the matter and submit a report within 15 days.
\nThe apex court had also sought a response from the Sindh government on the implementation of a report\u2019s recommendations to avert environmental threats from the project.
\nThe court today deemed that the Thar coal project was not \u201cimplementable\u201d and had caused a heavy financial loss to the country.
\nThe top judge remarked that Dr Mubarakmand had claimed \u201cPakistan would get free electricity\u201d but \u201cover Rs4 billion had been wasted\u201d instead.
\n\u201cSamar Mubarakmand is responsible,\u201d Justice Nisar said. \u201cHe had made big claims but now he will have 20 excuses. Who will be held accountable for the billions of rupees that were spent?.
\nDr Mubarakmand, in his defence, said that \u201cRs1bn was spent on feasibility\u201d, adding that the project was approved after the government had \u201cseen for itself that my project was operating\u201d.
\nThe Deputy Attorney General, meanwhile, told the court that until now Rs4.69bn have been spent on the That coal project but electricity was yet to be generated.
\n\u201cIt was the Sindh government\u2019s responsibility to run this project,\u201d the DAG reminded the SC bench.
\nThe court instructed the federal government to furnish its report on the That coal project within six weeks before adjourning the case till an unspecified date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Thar coal project INP ISLAMABAD The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to take action against nuclear scientist Dr Samar Mubarakmand and others responsible for losses caused to the national exchequer in Thar coal gasification project. A three-member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-38999","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n