ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Monday directed Wasim Sajjad, counsel for Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, to quote any law or judgment that one could contest one’s case after dismissal of a review petition.
A three-member bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammd Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, heard the case pertaining to the PM’s letter, seeking appointment of an independent commission in the rental power projects’ case.
The chief justice questioned the counsel for the PM when the court had given a judgment in the case and a review petition was also withdrawn why the prime minister sent a letter to the court, seeking appointment of a commission.
“You want us to review the judgment which you have accepted,” the chief justice told Wasim Sajjad, further directing him to inform the court of the relevant law. The court added there were also other people, involved in the rental power projects’ case.
Wasim Sajjad contended that after the judgment of the apex court, his client appeared twice before the court and accepted the court’s verdict, but after the emergence of subsequent developments, being the prime minister, he requested the court to appoint a commission in the matter.
“I can’t understand why a sitting prime minister does not trust the National Accountability Bureau (NAB),” the chief justice said. He asked the learned counsel what message he was going to give when his client did not trust an organisation. The chief justice recalled that Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani remained the prime minister for a long period but he had to leave his office on account of the judgment of this court.
The chief justice said that politicians like Faisal Saleh Hayat and Khawaja Asif were parties to the rental power projects’ case and it was necessary to have their point of view. The court, therefore, issued notices to Khawaja Asif, Faisal Saleh Hayat and the NAB chairman and adjourned the hearing till March 18.
 Wasim Sajjad argued that his client had prayed to the court tom appoint a commission to probe the rental power plants’ case. He contended the press and the public were not expressing confidence over the performance of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), so the prime minister wanted a commission to probe the case. Justice Gulzar Ahmed said the press was also expressing dissatisfaction over many things.
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Asharf had sent a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan, seeking appointment of a commission, headed by Dr Shoaib Suddle, to investigate the allegations against him in the rental power projects’ case.