Govt to formally publicize power sector inquiry report: Asad

ISLAMABAD, Apr 21 (APP):Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar Tuesday said the cabinet had approved to formally make the power sector inquiry report public with an official ownership.
Addressing a televised media briefing, he informed that the cabinet meeting presided over Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved the recommendations on the inquiry report presented by the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCOE)
He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and prime minister believed in transparency across the board and by embarking upon this policy, the prime minister had decided to present all the inquiries and investigations before the nation to root out corruption from the country.
Asad Umar who is also Chairman of the CCOE, made it clear that the power projects and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) upon which the inquiries were conducted were initiated in the previous governments.
“No contract on these projects was made by the current government,” he added.
The minister said the government was committed to take these inquiries to a logical conclusion by bringing all the culprits to justice.
A number of such irregularities had been found in an inquiry where many government departments were also involved, he said adding no one would be spared this time whosoever the culprit might be, and the government was strict in its stance to deal with them according to the law.
He assured the nation that unlike the past, this time justice would be done and all those who had looted the precious public money would be brought to logical end.
He further informed that the cabinet also decided to form a commission of inquiry to propose further recommendations based on the inquiry report. Terms of reference of the commission were being complied and the person who lead the commission would be selected by the prime minister and he or she would not be from the government side.
He said the commission would be authorized to do forensic audit and other investigations of the report.
He said the government provide all support to the commission including budget and all other facilities.
The commission would submit its recommendations within 90 days, he added.
Asad Umar said the committee also recommended some amendments or reforms in policies and for this another committee under Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Minerals Shahzad Qasim was already working and the policy recommendations would be prepared by the committee.
After the completion of recommendations on the irregularities in the power sector would be submitted by the commission, he added.