Bus Rapid Transit Project: PHC extends stay order against NAB inquiry

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday extended the stay order in favour of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project contractors till September 19 to allow the parties concerned to reach a settlement.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Khursheed Iqbal adjourned proceedings into the writ petitions of the companies, which had worked on the BRT Project.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was conducting an inquiry against the BRT contractors on the charges of embezzlement. The companies had moved the PHC to seek an interim relief.The owners of the companies had approached the high court to seek a stay order against the inquiry being conducted against them by NAB.

The court was told that the parties to the case i.e. the BRT contractors and NAB were trying to reach a settlement and the bench would be informed in writing about its outcome. The revelation was made before the bench by the lawyers, including Naeem Bukhari, Waseem Sajjad and Shumail Ahmad Butt representing the BRT contractors. Deputy Prosecutor General Azeem Dad and Special Prosecutor General Mohammad Ali appeared on behalf of the NAB.

The lawyers for the petitioners told the court that the Peshawar Development Authority had not submitted its reply so far while efforts were being made to seek a settlement and it was expected that an agreement would soon be reached.

They said that the NAB and the Federal Investigation Agency should also sign the agreement to decide the case once and for all.Justice Sahibzada Asadullah asked the lawyers how much time they needed to reach a settlement.

To this, Shumail replied that he was going abroad so he needed more time, adding that the next date into the hearing should be fixed in September.However, the lawyers appearing for NAB told the court to fix the case for a hearing at the earliest as the petitioners had already got interim relief from the court through the stay order.

The court extended the stay order till September 19 to allow the parties concerned to reach the settlement. It may be mentioned that NAB had launched an inquiry against the BRT contractors, who had got a stay order from the court.