ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) ordered on Thursday the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate Thar underground coal gasification project.
A three-member bench chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar heard the suo motu case regarding Thar coal power project.
Chairman of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) project in Thar Dr. Samar Mubarakmand appeared before the court for the session.
The court directed the auditor general to conduct a forensic audit of the project and submit a report within 15 days. Further, the Sindh chief secretary was ordered to seize the project’s belongings.
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During the session, the CJP remarked, “No corruption was done in this project.” However, the court adviser Salman Akram Raja apprised the bench, “The project’s feasibility report was not clear. It was said that 10,000MW will be produced for 30 years but according to experts the project will lower underground water reserves and affect the environment.”
Raja continued, “One committee has said that this is a failed project and more funds should not be allocated for it. Those who approved Mubarakmand’s project should have also looked into it.”
To this, Justice Nisar responded, “For the first time I realised what a billion is. Billions of rupees were spent like dried leaves fly from a tree.”
“Rs3.8 million have already been spent on this project and who is responsible for this? Does Dr Mubarakmand have to pay this money?” CJP questioned.
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Justice Nisar further asked the court adviser, “Where did Dr. Mubarakmand’s tall claims go? Should this matter not be sent to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or should a fresh investigation be initiated?”
“A lot of noise was created over the project that something not done by any scientist before was done this time,” the chief justice remarked. “A 100MW project is not even generating 3MW of electricity,” he added.
NAB prosecutor Asghar Haider presented a report regarding the projects before the court.
According to engineers, it is not possible to generate electricity from underground coal gasification.
Further, the Court advisers Raja and Shehzad Elahi also submitted their recommendations following which the chief justice asked about “the positions of the federal and Sindh governments.”
The advocate general Sindh then informed the bench that the project was entirely funded by the federal government and only the land belongs to the Sindh government.
Dr Muabarakmand then said, “The project did not cause any environmental degradation. An Australian company was also working on an underground gasification project and lawyers cannot judge this project.”
To this, Justice Nisar responded, “I knew you would say this. When you made these claims, they were romanticised and it was said that free electricity will be provided but the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs4 billion.”
