ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday summoned a report on the feasibility of the Nandipur and Chichunki Malian power projects from the Ministry of Water and Power, DawnNews reported.

A three-member bench led by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the case pertaining to the delay in the installation of the power plants

During today’s hearing, former law minister Babar Awan and former law secretary Masood Chishti’s absence from court – despite summons issued issued by the apex court after the previous hearing on Oct 24 – irked the bench.

Petitioner Khawaja Mohammad Asif, a PML-N lawmaker, informed the court that the delay in installation of the power plants had increased the projects’ costs from $329 million to $700 million.

Ministry for Water and Power’s lawyer, Khawaja Tariq Rahim told the court that the projects were still feasible.

The Supreme Court had taken up Asif’s petition against the delay in the installation of the Rs29 billion 425MW combined cycle power plant in Nandipur (Gujranwala) and 595MW Chichunki Malian power project in May earlier this year.

According to the report submitted by Justice (retd) Rehmat Hussain Jafri’s one-man commission, the delay in the installation of the two power projects had caused the national exchequer to suffer a loss of Rs 113 billion, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had noted during the last hearing.

Today’s hearing was subsequently adjourned until Thursday, Nov 8.