LHC directs NAB to submit reply on Ahad Cheema’s plea

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau director general and directed him to submit a reply on a petition moved by Lahore Development Authority’s former Director General Ahad Cheema against his arrest over corruption charges.

Ahad Cheema through his counsel advocate Azam Nazir Tarar argued that NAB initiated inquiry against him for corruption and corrupt practices into Ashiana Iqbal Housing Project. The said project was assigned by Punjab Development Company through an agreement on Jan 20, 2015, to LDA while he was the then director general of the authority, the petitioner said. He said that he was alleged that he awarded further contract to M/s Lahore Caca Developers as a joint venture, whereas, in fact, the allegedly said developers were ineligible for contract under PPP Act 2014. He said that according to the allegations, a major shareholder of joint venture titled as Lahore Caca Developers was M/S Bismillah Engineering Services which was a proxy firm working on behalf of M/s Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, and for awarding the said contract, he (the petitioner) allegedly received illegal gratification in the shape of 32 Kanal land valuing Rs 30.090 million from the owners of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited. He submitted that approximately a loss of Rs 14 billion was caused to the government exchequer due to alleged corruption in “Ashiana Housing Scheme.” Cheema said he was summoned by the NAB for inquiry into the said matter. He submitted that he had provided information about the said property in asset declaration to the NAB but he was taken into custody and a rough statement of allegations was served on him.

Ahad Cheema said he was made a scapegoat in Ashiana Housing Scheme case and was taken into custody by the NAB for satisfaction of their ego as he had dared the respondents after second notice to him for inquiry into the said allegations. He claimed that the contract awarded to Caca Developers was transparent. He said that the NAB did not fulfil legal requirements. He said he quit the seat of director general, LDA, on April 28, 2016 and the record of the said project was not in his possession. He said that he did not receive any gratification.

After hearing initial arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Justice Ali Baqar Najfi issued notices to the NAB with directives to submit reply and adjourned further proceedings until March 1.

Basant: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the Lahore mayor to decide within seven days an application of kite flying association seeking permission to celebrate Basant.

District Kite Flying Association President Lala Rukh Jamshed filed a writ petition making the chief secretary, deputy commissioner and lord mayor as respondents.

The petitioner through his counsel argued that celebrating Basant was a lawful right of the citizens of Lahore. However, he said, the government put a ban on the kite flying event and was harassing the people related to business of manufacturing kites and sting.

He said thousands of people who used to earn from the manufacturing of kites and twine had been forced to live miserable lives due to the ban imposed on kite flying by the provincial government.

The counsel prayed to the court to lift the ban on the kite flying and Basant so that the poor people associated with the kite business could earn money for their families in a respectable manner, and the citizens could celebrate Basant. He said an application had also been submitted with the lord mayor to this effect but no decision had been made so far.

Justice Shahid Karim disposed of the petition and directed the mayor to decide the application of the kite flying association within seven days after hearing their point of view.