Assets beyond income: NAB approves inquiry against Shehbaz Sharif

The anti-corruption watchdog has accused Shehbaz of miscuing the authorities of PLDC.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday has approved inquiry against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Opposition Leader in National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif in a case pertaining to assets beyond income.

According to details, the bureau will ask another 10-day physical remand of PML-N president from accountability court on October 29.

On the other hand, NAB has claimed to have found more evidence against Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana Housing scandal.

The anti-corruption watchdog has accused Shehbaz of misusing the authorities of Punjab Land Development Company’s (PLDC) board of directors.

While recording the statements, former officials of the company revealed that contracts were awarded to the favorite firm after cancelation on the directives of then Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Physical remand extended

Earlier, an accountability court in Lahore had extended Shehbaz‘s physical remand to the anti-graft watchdog for 14 days after his previous 10-day remand ended on October 16.

During the proceedings, Shehbaz maintained he himself ordered investigation into corruption allegations in the housing scheme and denies awarding contracts to a favorite firm.

Shehbaz Sharif arrested

PML-N president was arrested on October 5 after appearing before the NAB team in Saaf Paani Company scheme. NAB said Shehbaz failed to satisfy the investigation team regarding a tender awarded to a private consultancy firm and was therefore arrested.

The anti-graft watchdog said the firm did not conduct any kind of survey but nevertheless was provided a lucrative sum of 1.5 billion rupees. It added that Fawad Hassan Fawad, the principal secretary of former premier Nawaz Sharif, had become an approver in the case.

Fawad, in his statement, had claimed that he had awarded a contract to a “favourite firm” in the Rs14 billion Ashiana Housing project at the behest of Shehbaz Sharif.

The anti-graft agency said that the contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons but Sharif cancelled it and later on awarded the contract to Lahore Casa Developers - a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is said to be owned by former Railways minister Saad Rafique.