NAB exceeded authority: IHC detailed verdict on Ahsan Iqbal acquittal in NSC case
Pakistan
IHC issues detailed verdict of Ahsan Iqbal's acquittal in Narowal Sports City case
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday issued detailed verdict on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal’s acquittal in Narowal Sports City reference.
The detailed verdict issued on Saturday declared that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had exceeded its authority by filing a case of abuse of power against Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
The verdict further stated that the allegations of abuse of power were baseless and Mr Iqbal was not involved in any corrupt practice. The court further said no such material was presented that would have justified the arrest of the PML-N leader. Corruption is directly related to fraud, bribery and cheating, and the mere misuse of authority, no matter how serious it is, is not corruption.
The case
In the reference filed in November 2020, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) accused Iqbal of misusing authority by funding a provincial government project — Narowal Sports City — in his constituency and illegally increasing its scope from Rs34.75 million to Rs3 billion.
Mr Iqbal was arrested by NAB in December 2019 and remained in custody for two months.
