LAHORE: Shortly after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cleared Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Rs 7 billion money laundering case, the anti-corruption watchdog on Saturday also indicted the prime minister in the Ashiana housing reference. Proclaimed “Not Guilty” – which was filed in 2018. .
According to a report submitted by the NAB to Accountability Court judge Sheikh Sajjad Ahmed on Saturday, there was no evidence of corruption in the contracts issued for the scheme – findings that cast doubt on the impartiality of the anti-corruption watchdog. There is a fear of happening.
Furthermore, the report stated that the project did not cause any loss to the national exchequer nor did Prime Minister Shehbaz get any financial benefit.
The anti-graft body said in its report that it is beyond any doubt that the exchequer was not damaged.
Furthermore, he asserted: “There is no evidence of abuse of power against Shahbaz Sharif.”
The NAB report has said that no aspect of malice against the prime minister has been proved in the scandal.
The report further said that Kamran Kayani, brother of former Army Chief General (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, also did not cause any damage to the treasury.
Additionally, the report found that Fawad Hasan Fawad – who was then the enforcement secretary to then Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif – did not take any bribe to award the contract.
The report further said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif sent the Ashiana case to the anti-corruption watchdog as per the law.
The report said that the accountability court should decide according to the law on the plea of acquittal of Shahbaz Sharif.
Judge Sheikh Sajjad Ahmed then called the lawyers of the parties for arguments and adjourned the hearing till May 27.
It should be noted that on May 11, the anti-corruption watchdog had acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shehbaz and others in the references of 16 billion rupees of assets in excess of income and money laundering.
What is Ashiana Housing scandal?
When it was launched in 2011, the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme was touted as a low-cost housing scheme.
However, allegations of irregularities soon surfaced as inexplicable delays in balloting and allotment of completed units began.
Years later, in 2018, several high-profile politicians came under fire for alleged corruption and misappropriation, leading to an inquiry by the anti-graft watchdog.
Among the accused are Prime Minister Shehbaz, who misused his powers as Chief Minister of Punjab in the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) inquiry.
An inquiry conducted in 2018 claimed that Shahbaz Sharif, as Chief Minister of Punjab, illegally assumed the powers of the board of directors of the Punjab Land and Development Company (PLDC), misused his powers and colluded with Fawad and others. Did you work?
Contracts to Messrs. Ch. A. Latif & Sons for the development and infrastructure of Ashiana Iqbal Housing Project was illegally canceled and awarded to Paragon City Private Limited’s proxy group Lahore Casa Developers (LCD).
Additionally, it was alleged that in a meeting held on 21 October 2014, the former chief minister illegally directed PLDC to hand over the Ashiana Iqbal Punjab project to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) – which It was headed by his close associate Ahad Khan Cheema.
Sharif’s decision was considered wrong as PLDC was the company set up for such housing projects.
During the investigation in 2018, the three main accused were arrested and later released.
In September last year, the accountability court granted him permanent immunity from appearing in the reference on the request of the prime minister.
