Court extends remand of Kh Saad, Salman Rafique till Jan 26

LAHORE (92 News) – Accountability Court Judge Najamul Hassan on Saturday extended the remand of Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique in the Paragon Housing scandal till January 26. The NAB had demanded 15-day extension in the remand of the Khawaja brothers. Talking to the media after appearing in court, Khawaja Saad Rafique said that it seems the PTI will not complete the tenure. “The government wants to fall due to its burden. The foundation of economy has been shaken during five months,” he claimed. He said that now the people are wailing over the PTI. The NAB had taken Khawaja brothers into custody last month after rejection of their petition to obtain pre-arrest bail. Subsequently, the NAB had also launched a probe against them under the suspicion of assets beyond known income.

NAB allegations

Following their arrests, the NAB Lahore had issued a press release and stated that "Accused Saad Rafique along with his benamidaar wife Ghazala Saad Rafique, brother Salman Rafique in association with Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia established a housing project in the name of Air Avenue which was converted into a new housing project namely M/S Paragon City Pvt Limited. Record shows that M/S Paragon City is an illegal society." “Accused in collusion, connivance and collaboration of Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia cheated the members of public at large and obtained illegal pecuniary benefits from the funds of said illegal housing project," it added. Further, it stated, "Accused is operating this illegal housing project through his associates/ co-accused persons who are collecting deposits from general public despite clear directions from LDA that this project is unapproved." "Accused has been and is continuously obtaining illegal/ illegitimate funds/ benefits from said project as he obtained 40 kanal plots in his own name and the name of his brother Salman Rafique.” The press release continued, “Accused by misusing his official position continued the expansion and marketing of illegal housing project and also obtained undue benefits in the form of sale of numbers of commercial plots worth billions of rupees which were actually not owned by M/S Paragon City. Thus the buyers have been cheated through this action of corruption and corrupt practices."