NAB summon based on mala fide intentions: Shehbaz

Punjab CM refutes corruption allegations in housing scheme

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Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has refuted corruption allegations levelled against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Ashiana Housing Scheme.

“The summon for my appearance before the bureau are based on mala fide intentions,” the chief minister said while addressing a news conference on Monday after appearing before NAB in an inquiry related to alleged irregularities in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme.

The chief minister highlighted that as per the provisions of the law, he could have sent a written reply but he chose to appear personally for the supremacy of the law.

“I have recorded my statement in the NAB Regional Office for over an hour and presented all facts before the bureau,” he maintained.

Being the chief minister, Sharif underlined, it was his responsibility to monitor progress of all ongoing development projects in Punjab and added it could not be termed a violation of rules.

Shehbaz said he told NAB that he saved millions of rupees by stopping corruption being made in the project.

“If it is a crime to save public money, then I will commit this crime again and again,” he underscored.

He pointed out that the Ashiana Housing Scheme was an initiative of his government to provided low-cost housing facility to low-income citizens. The government had invested over Rs2 billion in the public welfare project.

Giving details of the project, the chief minister said, Ashiana Quaid-e-Azam Housing Society was a project of some 1,700 low-cost houses for the poor.



The government acquired barren land from the Rangers in March 2014, during former army chief Gen (retd) Pervez Kiyani’s tenure and it was one the most difficult tasks in Pakistan, he added.

“The government had to convince the Bank of Punjab for financing as the project was aimed to benefit underprivileged segment of society.”
Earlier, he highlighted, the bank was reluctant to fund the project but later it agreed to offer financing.

Speaking about cancelling the Chaudhry Latif and Sons (CLS) contract, Sharif said, he did not cancelled or awarded the contract to any party.

He said the CLS was awarded a contract for construction of roads and infrastructure in the Ashiana Quaid-e-Azam Housing Society.

“Later, the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) cancelled over non-performance and violation of contractual obligations,” he said while giving details of the project.

On February 20, 2017, he said, some irregularities were pointed out in the tendering process on which a committee was constituted under former Punjab finance secretary Tariq Bajwa for conducting a detailed inquiry.

“The committee pointed out that prequalification documents of 51 companies were sent to the Engineering Consultancy Services Punjab (ECSP) but the ECSP had submitted an additional application on its own, which was beyond their power,” he added.

On the committee’s recommendation, the government had referred the case to the Punjab Anti Corruption Establishment, he highlighted.
Later, it was decided that the government will initiate the project on the private-public partnership (PPP) model and fresh bids were invited.

“As per new criterion, it was decided that the government would offer space for commercial projects to the successful bidder who would commit to build maximum houses and infrastructure from its own resources.

“A company offered to build 6,300 houses but later in March, 2017, it was revealed that the work could not be initiated. “I directed concerned authorities to look into the matter and find out a solution in transparent manner on merit. If I had any ill-intention or I wanted to award contract to someone I will never order transparent inquiry,” he maintained.

The chief minister said he appealed to NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal that he (NAB chief) should refrain from seeking revenge and carried out accountability instead of doing politics.

“I have been working [as chief minister] of Punjab since 1997, but if corruption of a single penny is proved against me then I will go home,” he stressed.



The chief minister said it is very astonishing that corruption cases of billions of rupees were pending in NAB but the bureau was issuing notices in 100 per cent fake cases.

“Everybody knows that billions of rupees were embezzled in the Islamabad Safe City project. Babar Awan kept the Nandipur Power Project file for three years just to mint money.

“Later, the contract was awarded without the requisite bidding process. Asif Ali Zardari had award Rs2.5 billion for Chichonki Malian Hydropower Plant without fulfilling the tendering process with the result that not a single megawatt could be produced from the project,” he said.

“If people of Pakistan express their confidence in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the upcoming general elections, then I will bring looted money back in the country from all parts of the world,” he underscored.

The chief minister said he would present before NAB whenever he would be called, “but rest assured if accountability is not done on merit, the country will face a revolution”.

According to the NAB notice, an inquiry against officials of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) and the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) revealed that “prima facie Shehbaz Sharif, being the chief minister Punjab, had ordered certain illegal acts in sheer violation of laid down procedures for functioning of PLDC due to which the company bore a huge financial loss”.

“Shehbaz had ordered cancellation of award of contract of Aashiana-e-Iqbal to a successful bidder, leading to award of contracts to other builder, which resulted into a loss of Rs193 million approximately,” the notice states.

He also directed the PLDC to assign the project of Aashiana-e-Iqbal to the LDA, resulting in the award of contracts to M/s Lahore Casa Developers (JV), thus causing a loss of Rs715 million approximately and ultimately failure of the project, according to the notice.



It says the chief minister had also directed the PLDC to award consultancy services of Aashiana-e-Iqbal project for Rs192 million approximately, but its actual cost was Rs35 million.

During the news conference, the chief minister refuted all allegations leveled by the anti-corruption watchdog.