Daily Times

LAHORE: The Lahore Higher Court (LHC) on Friday remarked that the government is exploiting investors. In the hearing of a case against Shahzad Saleem, chief executive officer (CEO) of Nishat Chunian Power Plant name in exit control list(ECL), LHC Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan said that “All investors are not plunderers. Who will make investment in the country if businessmen face harassment?”. He ordered the federal government to remove Shahzad Saleem name from ECL.

Shahzad Saleem is facing an inquiry by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). His counsel pleaded that “The petitioner had appeared before NAB when summoned and also submitted all the required documents”.

Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Ishtiaq A Khan said that Shahzad Saleem has never asked the government to remove his name from ECL, he has directly moved to the petition before the honorable court. A NAB prosecutor said that the petitioner had been confronting a request on debasement accusations with respect to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

The Supreme Court had likewise taken a suo motu notice of a similar issue. The petitioner counsel presented that the procedures under the  Supreme Court were in regards to every one of the 85 IPPs, however NAB started inquiry against just a single individual. He said the petitioner was being deceived over his friendship with Fawad Hassan Fawad, Ex-principle secretary to the PM. The counsel encouraged the court to ask the govt for what valid reason it neglected to put PM’s advisor Abdul Razzaq Dawood name on the ECL as he was also confronting the NAB investigation in the IPPs. Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan ordered the government to remove the name of Shahzad Saleem from the ECL.