Ashiana Housing scam: Accountability court extends Shehbaz's transit remand
The decision was taken on the request of Kot Lakhpat Jail's superintendent
LAHORE (Dunya News) - Accountability court on Wednesday has extended transit remand of Opposition Leader in National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana Housing scam.
According to details, the decision was taken on the request of Kot Lakhpat Jail s superintendent who asked the court to extend the remand of ex-Punjab chief minister until the conclusion of assembly session.
On December 6, accountability court had sent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president to Kot Lakhpat jail on judicial remand after his previous physical remand ended.
Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest
NAB had arrested Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam on October 5. The former chief minister was charged with awarding illegal contracts to his favorite firm.
He was apprehended during his appearance before NAB in Saaf Pani Company scam. Sources told that three files were tabled before him. The bureau quizzed Sharif regarding a tender awarded to a private consultancy company for a survey of the Saaf Pani company.
The PML-N president had failed to satisfy the probing team of the bureau during the investigation and was ultimately arrested.
The anti-graft watchdog had claimed that the company did not conduct any kind of survey but nevertheless was provided a lucrative sum of Rs 1.5 billion.
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.
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 ex-Railways Minister Saad Rafique”.
