Pervaiz Ashraf acquitted in rental power plant reference

ISLAMABAD: PPP leader and former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was Thursday acquitted in the Rental Power Plant reference, as the NAB failed to prove corruption charges against him. Accountability Court Judge Mohammad Bashir announced the judgment, which was reserved on the last hearing after arguments from both sides concluded.

The court said the NAB could not prove any corruption charges against Ashraf. Others named in the case, including Shaukat Tareen, former Pesco MD Basharat Cheema, and Shahid Rafique were also acquitted. A reference against Ashraf was filed in December 2019 after Rana Amjad, the manager of the Sahiwal-Multan project, turned approver in the case.

Ashraf was accused of misusing authority during his tenure as minister for water and power to obtain approval from the Economic Coordination Committee and the Federal cabinet for an increase in the down payment to the rental power companies from 7% to 14%, amounting to about Rs22 billion.