Remand of Ahad Cheema extended

LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday extended until September 26 judicial remand of Lahore Development Authority’s former director general Ahad Khan Cheema and another accused allegedly involved in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam.

As proceedings commenced, the jail authorities produced Ahad Khan Cheema and Bismillah Engineering owner Shahid Shafiq before the court.

The court extended the judicial remand of the accused directing investigation officer of the case to submit his report on next hearing. The NAB authorities had arrested six persons, including former LDA DG Ahad Khan Cheema, Bismillah Engineering Company owner Shahid Shafiq, LDA Chief Engineer Israr Saeed, Punjab Land Development Company Chief Engineer Col (r) Arif Majeed, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PLDC Imtiaz Haider and another PLDC official Bilal Qidwai for their alleged involvement in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam. However, the LHC granted bails to two accused, including Israr Saeed and Arif Majeed on May 16 and restrained them from travelling abroad until disposal of the case.

NAB inquiry further revealed that Bismillah Engineering Services Co (a major shareholder of JV titled Lahore Casa Developers) was a proxy firm working on behalf of Paragon City (Pvt) Ltd. Cheema allegedly received illegal gratification in the form of 32 kanals of land (valuing Rs30.09 million approximately from the owners of Paragon City (Pvt) Ltd.