Qaisar Amin granted bail in housing scheme scam

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench Wednesday granted bail to former MPA Qaisar Amin Butt, a key suspect in Paragon Housing society scam.

The bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan heard the post-arrest bail petition filed by Qaisar Amin Butt and announced releasing the former director of the Paragon City (Pvt) Limited after submission of surety bonds of one million rupees.

As proceedings commenced, Advocate Pir Masood Chishti appeared on behalf of the former MPA and submitted that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had completed its interrogation from his client.

Moreover, the lawyer argued that “the health of Butt remains unwell, for which he needs thorough treatment”. Therefore, the lawyer said that Butt should be released on bail, adding that his client had already become an approver in the case against former railway minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique.

He pointed out that his client had become an approver in the case and got his confessional statement recorded under Section 26 of the National Accountability Ordinance before a judicial magistrate against the other co-accused.

He submitted that chairman NAB had given complete pardon to his client after the confessional statement and the bureau had also given consent for ad-interim bail of his client in its reply. He submitted that if an accused was given complete pardon then such an accused did not face trial.

He pleaded with the court to grant benefit of the bail to his client as he would not face trial after being pardoned. He undertook before the court that the petitioner, if released, would not escape or hide from the law. NAB prosecutor also told the court that bureau had no objection over grant of bail to Butt. The bench after hearing arguments reserved its verdict for a short period but later, granted bail to Qaisar Amin Butt and directed to submit surety bonds for the purpose.

Qaisar Amin Butt was arrested on November 14, on the charges of launching an illegal housing scheme known as Paragon City in connivance with Nadeem Zia and others during the year 2005 on the basis of forged and fabricated documents in alleged connivance of the TMA Aziz Bhatti Town, Lahore officials.

Former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother former provincial minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and others were co-accused in the case. The NAB had alleged that Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique were real owners of the Paragon City and they were running the society through Benamidars.