Pak courts acquits former PM Raja Pervez Ashraf in corruption case

Ashraf, along with former finance minister Shaukat Tareen and eight others, was accused of causing losses of billions of rupees when their efforts to address the power shortage in the country through rental power projects failed. Judge Muhhamad Bashir of Islamabad-based accountability court issued the verdict in the Sahiwal Rental Power case in response to the acquittal plea submitted by the former premier as well as the other accused.

An anti-corruption court here on Thursday acquitted former Pakistan prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and nine others in a corruption case. Ashraf, along with former finance minister Shaukat Tareen and eight others, was accused of causing losses of billions of rupees when their efforts to address the power shortage in the country through rental power projects failed.

Judge Muhhamad Bashir of Islamabad-based accountability court issued the verdict in the Sahiwal Rental Power case in response to the acquittal plea submitted by the former premier as well as the other accused. Ashraf was accused of receiving kickbacks and commissions for awarding contracts to nine rental power project firms in 2008 when he was minister for water and power.

Pakistan was in the grip of an electricity crisis then and the Pakistan Peoples Party led by former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani came up with a plan to set up rental power plants on a fast track basis. Ashraf allegedly misused his authority to obtain approval from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the Cabinet for an increase in the down payment to the rental power companies from 7 per cent to 14 per cent, amounting to about Rs 22 billion.

Most of the companies failed to execute the projects. Ashraf served as prime minister between June 22, 2012 and March 25, 2013 after Gilani was disqualified by the Supreme Court.