NAB presents investigation report to court in Ashiana housing scam

LAHORE (92 News) – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor on Monday presented an investigation report to the court in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scam case. Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif appeared before an accountability court in Lahore. The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) president and former LDA director general Ahad Cheema were continuously whispering during the hearing. However, the anti-graft watchdog prosecutor presented an investigation report to the court. Shebaz Sharif pleaded to leave the court but Jawadul Hassan remarked that wait and sit because there is need of him here. He repeatedly came into rostrum and complained backache, saying that he could not sit due to the pain. Later, Shehbaz Sharif was allowed to leave the court. Other accused persons, including Fawad Hassan Fawad, Ahad Cheema and Munir Zia are also present in the court. On February 18, accountability court Judge Syed Najmul Hassan had indicted ten suspects including Shehbaz Sharif in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scam case. All the accused rejected the charges. The PMLN president had sworn to God that the case against him was false and affirmed to bring facts in front of the nation. Ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad became an approver in the case. Fawad Hassan Fawad, in his statement before NAB, had claimed that he had awarded a contract to a “favourite firm” in the Rs14 billion Ashiana Housing project at the behest of Shahbaz Sharif. Earlier, accountability Court Judge Najamul Hassan framed charges against LDA former director general Ahad Cheema. The court extended the judicial remand of Ahad Cheema for 14 days. The NAB had arrested six people – former LDA DG Ahad Cheema, Bismillah Engineering Company owner Shahid Shafiq, Israr Saeed, Arif Majeed, PLDC’s former chief executive officer Imtiaz Haider and another PLDC official, Bilal Qudwai, for their alleged involvement in the housing scam.