Court refers Paragon case to LDA

Acquits two accused in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme case

LAHORE:

On Wednesday, a trial court in Lahore accepted a request from the country's top accountability watchdog to refer a corruption case filed against PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the reference against the Rafique brothers and others for alleged irregularities in Paragon Housing Society, a private housing society on the outskirts of Lahore during the rule of the PTI party.

The reference had been closed after the PML-N-led federal government amended the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999, the law that governs NAB. However, the apex court annulled the amendments last month, leading to the revival of dozens of cases, including the Paragon case.

In its request submitted to an accountability court, NAB stated that the case related to alleged irregularities which the LDA, as the city's development authority, was in a better position to investigate.

Meanwhile, an accountability court in Lahore acquitted former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif's co-accused, Kamran Kayani and Nadeem Zia, in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme reference. The court unveiled its previously reserved order on Wednesday.

In May of this year, NAB had declared former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif "innocent" in the reference. In a report submitted to the accountability court, NAB had stated that it found "no evidence" of corruption in the contract of the scheme launched in Lahore in 2010.

According to the report, Shehbaz Sharif had not received any financial benefit from the project. The report had also confirmed that there was no financial loss to the treasury due to the project.

The graft buster had filed the reference in 2018, accusing Shehbaz of misusing his authority in executing a low-cost housing scheme during his tenure as Punjab chief minister.