Rafique brothers' judicial remand extended till July 11

Accountability judge grants 14-day extension to brothers Saad, Salman Rafique

LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday approved a 14-day extension in the judicial remand of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique.

Accountability court judge Justice Jawadul Hasan ordered for the accused to be presented in court on July 11.

On June 18, the Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed a bail petition for PML-N MNA Saad.

The Khawaja brothers were arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from court premises on December 11 when the LHC rejected their request for an extension in their pre-arrest bail in the case.

Since then, their remand has been extended several times.

Case background

NAB says that Saad, in connivance with his wife Ghazala Butt, brother Salman, Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia, started a housing project named ‘Air Avenue’, which was later renamed ‘Paragon City Limited’.

The accountability watchdog maintains that the housing scheme was set up illegally and the Rafique brothers, in connivance with Nadeem Zia and Qaiser Amin Butt, defrauded a large number of buyers.

The bureau further claims that Saad got 40 kanals of land registered against his brother's name, extended the project illegally, and benefitted by selling commercial plots amounting billions of rupees.