Ashiana Housing Scheme case is important: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday said that Ashiana Housing Scheme case is important and directed to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to work properly in this regard.

The SC adjourned hearing into bail pleas of accused persons nominated in case pertaining to Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme, till November 29. A three-member bench headed by Justice Azmat Saeed heard the bail pleas filed by two accused including Munir Zia and Imtiaz Haider in above housing scheme scandal.

During the course of proceeding, the assistant counsel of the suspects Munir Zia informed the bench that senior counsel Azam Nazeer Tarrar was busy with SC’s Lahore Registry due to which he could not appear before the court this day.

He requested the court to adjourn hearing of the case for three days. Addressing the NAB prosecutor, Justice Azmat Saeed asked what really the case is about. The prosecutor replied that the accused persons had caused a loss to the national exchequer through the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme, adding that the contract of the scheme was awarded to a company named CASA despite someone else had won it during bid.

Justice Saeed asked, "Had the NAB arrested the owners of CASA company?" The NAB prosecutor informed the court that CASA was a joint venture of three companies and an interim reference had been filed against six accused persons in this regard. He further contended that former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and Fawad Hasan Fawad had already been arrested and investigated in the above scam, adding that a final reference would be filed later by the anti-graft body.

Justice Saeed noted if CASA was a joint venture of three companies, how the only six accused were arrested. He remarked that NAB officials should start working properly. The bench asked whether the main accused in the case Ahad Cheema had approached the court to seek bail.

At this, the NAB officials replied that the main accused had not yet filed a bail plea to the Supreme Court. The bench observed that this was an important case and NAB should investigate properly. “We are not giving any decision this day as counsels of the accused are absent.”