Ahad Cheema’s arrest: NAB terms Punjab Govt allegations baseless

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has termed the allegations baseless, which were charged by the Punjab Government after the arrest of former Director-General Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Ahad Cheema.

This has been said in a statement issued by the NAB Lahore that the government is facing a liquidation loss of about Rs 455 million as the estimate of the construction of Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme has increased manyfold due to delay in the project.

The spokesperson further stated that 20 canals of land in the housing scheme was purchased by Ahad Cheema in Lahore Cantt. in the name of his brother Ahmed Saeed Cheema, sister Sadia Mansoor and a cousin.

It may be recalled that it was being said by the spokesperson of Punjab Government that the legal requirements were not completed for the arrest of Ahad Cheema.

However, the NAB spokesperson said 61,000 citizens had submitted applications to the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme and also deposited about Rs 60 million as processing fee for allotment.

Meanwhile, sources claimed according to reporter DailyJang Fakhar Durrani, that hand of a business tycoon behind the arrest of Ahad Cheema cannot be ignored.

This was reportedly said that Cheema not only stopped his various projects but also got registered an FIR against the business tycoon whereas the Punjab bureaucracy not only strongly reacted against the arrest of Cheema but also observed a pen down strike in Lahore.