Shehbaz Sharif others indicted in Ashiana scam

LAHORE: An accountability court Monday indicted opposition leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and nine others in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scam.

Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif, senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad, Lahore Development Authority's former director general Ahad Cheema and others appeared before the Accountability Court Judge Syed Najamul Hassan at the outset of the proceedings.

Shehbaz Sharif's counsel raised objection that complete record of reference had not been provided and confessional statements of Israr Saeed and others were missing.

He argued that indictment could not take place till the provision of complete documents and requested to adjourn the matter for a week.

The counsel on behalf of other accused also submitted that they had not been given the copies as well.

However, National Accountability Bureau's Prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua opposed the plea and submitted that copies of statements had been provided.

Upon this, the court directed the bureau to provide copies of the statements to all accused, observing that the indictment would not be delayed.

At this stage, Shehbaz Sharif told the court that he never misused authority and he was framed in a baseless case.

However, the court asked Shehbaz Sharif for presenting arguments in his defence through application.

Subsequently, the court indicted all the accused including Shehbaz Sharif but they pleaded not guilty and contended to contest the charges.

The court adjourning further hearing till March 4summoned prosecution witnesses for recording their statements.

The indictment of the accused came after the bureau filed a supplementary reference against PML-N President and Chairman Public Accounts Committee Shehbaz Sharif and 12 others in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing case.

Former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad, Nadeem Zia, Kamran Kiyani, Munir Zia, Khalid Hussain, Shahid Chaudhry and others are the nominated accused in the reference.

The supplementary reference consists of more than thousand pages and spread over three volumes.

Three accused including Kamran Kiyani, Nadeem Zia and Khalid Hussain had been declared proclaimed offenders after they failed to appear in the court.

The NAB had accused Shehbaz Sharif of misusing his authority which resulted in failure of the project, depriving61,000 applicants of housing units.

The NAB alleged that Shehbaz Sharif, in connivance with former DG LDA Ahad Cheema, awarded the contract to a proxy.

The NAB had already filed a reference against Cheema andfive others over their alleged role in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing scam.

It is pertinent to mention here that a Lahore High Court division bench granted post arrest bail to Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana and Ramzan Sugar Mills case on February 14. The bench also granted bail to Fawad Hassan Fawad in Ashiana Scam but rejected his bail petition in Assets beyond means case.