该案可以追溯到2008—2011年，阿什拉夫当时担任水电部长，监督租赁发电机组的巨额合同，当时，缺点给巴基斯坦经济造成的成本高达GDP的5 % 。
The case dates back to 2008-2011, when Ashraf, who was Minister of Water and Power at the time, oversaw large contracts to rent power generators, which were needed to ease an electricity shortage that was costing the economy up to 5% of GDP.