SNPC-I & II reference: Hearing against Sindh CM, others adjourned till April 18

ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court, on Monday, adjourned the hearing of the Sindh Nooriabad Power Companies (SNPC-I and SNPC-II) reference against Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and others till April 18.

Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana, while hearing the case, adjourned the hearing of Nooriabad Power Plant case following the request of the defence counsel.

Shah along with Syed Nasir Hussain appeared before the court and the court marked his attendance and later allowed him to go.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Usman Masood and Shah’s counsel Barrister Umair Majeed Malik appeared before the court.

The NAB prosecutor informed the court that the case was sent to Anti-Corruption Establishment, Sindh. He further argued that the jurisdiction of the case is yet to be determined in light of the Supreme Court’s judgment of September 15, 2023, which struck down the amendments to the country’s anti-graft law.

The Accountability Court could not give a final verdict on the cases until further orders from the Supreme Court, hence the hearing should be adjourned, he said.

Chief Minister Sindh’s lawyer Barrister Umair Majeed Malik requested in court that the hearing must be adjourned for a longer date because all the accused come from Karachi and his client is also busy in the formation of the cabinet.

The court, after hearing of arguments, adjourned the hearing of the case till April 18.

The NAB in 2020 filed a corruption reference against Murad Ali Shah and 16 other accused, Omni group’s Anwar Majeed, Khursheed Anwar Jamali, and others for corruption and money laundering through SNPC-I and SNPC-II by establishing two power plants at Nooriabad, Sindh.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024