Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme case: Fawad owns Rs5 bn plaza, 14 Benami accounts, NAB tells LHC

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday informed the Lahore High Court that former principal secretary to prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad owned a plaza in Rawalpindi valued Rs5 billion and 14 Benami bank accounts.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan was hearing the bail petitions of NA Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif in Ramzan Sugar Mills case and that of Fawad in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme. The NAB alleged that Shahbaz being the chief minister of Punjab had issued a directive for the construction of a drain in district Chiniot primarily for the use of the Ramzan Sugar Mills owned by his sons. It said Rs 200 million were spent on this purpose from the public money. Fawad being then secretary implementation to the chief minister has been accused of being involved in cancellation of a lawful award of the housing scheme to give the same to a company of his choice.

During the hearing of Fawad’s bail, NAB Special Prosecutor Akram Qureshi told the bench that Fawad received Rs 50 million as bribe from the company of Kamran Kayani, brother of former army chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, through bank accounts of his brother and sister-in-law. He said Fawad wanted to award the contract of the Ashiana Housing Scheme to Kayani’s company, however, it did not happen later. He said the assets of Fawad were beyond his known sources of income.

On the bail petition of Shahbaz in the sugar mills case, the bench posed a query to both the prosecution and the defence, saying how it will be determined whether the drain in question was constructed for personal benefit or for the benefit of public at large. The bench sought a feasibility report prepared for the construction of the drain and record of drain projects, if any, launched in Chiniot and other districts of the province.

The bench deferred the hearing on the bail petitions of both Shahbaz and Fawad on the request of the NAB prosecutor.