PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad, Salman Rafique released from jail

LAHORE (92 News) – PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad and Salman Rafique were released from jail on Thursday. A large number of workers welcomed them outside the jail. Adderssing the workers after his release, Khawaja Saad Rafique said that the NAB and Pakistan could run side by side. “The NAB law was constituted malafide. There was no political prisoner during the PML-N tenure. This period is rife with political prisoners,” he added. Earlier on Thursday, an accountability court issued release orders of the Khawaja brothers after their lawyers submitted two surety bonds worth Rs 30 million. The release orders were sent to the Camp Jail Lahore for completion of the formalities and release of Khawaja brothers from the jail. On March 17, the Supreme Court (SC) approved the bail of Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique in the Paragon Housing Scheme case. The top court approved the bails of the Khawaja brothers against two bonds worth Rs 3 million each. It is pertinent to mention here that the Khawaja brothers have been facing a corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). On December 11, Khawaja brothers were arrested after the Lahore High Court did not extend their interim bail. In the previous hearing on August 20, the indictment of the Khawaja brothers was delayed due to non-provision of readable copies of the reference to the suspects by the NAB, and subsequently Judge Syed Jawadul Hassan extended their judicial remand till September 4. According to NAB, Saad Rafique colluded with his wife, brother, Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia to form Paragon Housing Society. The Lahore Development Authority remarked that the housing project was unapproved. The former federal minister is accused of misusing his authority and causing billions of rupees loss to the country. Paragon Housing Scam One Qaiser Amin Butt, the main accused in the Paragon Housing scam, voluntarily disclosed the facts related to the commission of offence and requested for pardon under Section 26 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 (NAO 1999), which was granted by the competent authority. The NAB filed reference against Kh Saad Rafique, Kh Salman Rafique, Nadeem Zia Pirzada, his son Umer Zia and Farhan Ali. NAB stated in the reference that Saad Rafique, in connivance with his wife Ghazala Saad Rafique, brother Salman Rafique, Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia, started a housing project which was an illegal society.