Ex-senator's remand extended

LAHORE:

An accountability court on Friday extended the physical remand of former senator Waqar Ahmad Khan by three days in connection with the multi-billion-rupee Pak-Arab Housing Scheme scam.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) produced the accused before Accountability Court Judge Nadeem Gulzar after the expiration of his one-day physical remand.

During the hearing, NAB officials requested an extension, stating the need for additional time to investigate the case and recover properties allegedly linked to the accused.

The court approved the request, extending the remand by three days and directing the accused to appear again after the period concludes.

Waqar Ahmad Khan was arrested by NAB officials on December 11 at the Lahore High Court premises after a division bench denied his request for protective bail.

NAB alleges that the former senator, through the Pak-Arab Housing Scheme, defrauded the public by failing to allocate plots despite collecting substantial payments. The bureau claims that the housing society sold more files than the number of available plots, effectively misleading buyers.

Additionally, NAB asserts that the accused collected Rs10 billion from individuals for Phase-II of the housing scheme, which reportedly lacked approval from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

The NAB investigation seeks to uncover the extent of financial misconduct and ensure recovery of the defrauded amounts.