Khwaja brothers remand extended for 14 days

LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday extended 14-day judicial remand of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leaders – Khwaja Saad Rafique and Khwaja Salman Rafique – in Paragon Housing scam case.

The jail authorities produced both before the court amid tight security. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor informed the court that soon a reference against the accused would be filed, after which the court extended judicial remand of the accused till April 18.

As per NAB allegations, Saad Rafique along with his benamidar wife Ghazala Saad Rafique, brother Salman Rafique, in association with Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia, set up a housing project in the name of Air Avenue, which was converted into a new housing project namely M/s Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is allegedly an illegal society. Moreover, the accused allegedly cheated the public at large and got illegal benefits from the housing project funds. Kh Saad Rafique told the media after the hearing the PML-N government had left billions in national kitty, but the incumbent government had pushed Pakistan to the brink of bankruptcy.

Due to the policies of incompetent people, nobody is willing to invest in Pakistan, Saad added. Criticising Finance Minister Asad Umar’s statement, he said the people of this country had the right to know that on whose agenda he (Asad) was working. What kind of finance minister he is, who himself is saying that economy of the country has reached bankruptcy, Khwaja said. He demanded Asad Umar should apologise and resign over his remarks that Pakistan is "near bankruptcy". Saad said, "Umar's statement is an attack on Pakistan's integrity and not in national interest," he added.

"Pakistan is not safe in the hands of Imran Khan, his team is incapable," Saad asserted. "PM Imran had said he will make us cry, but he is making the whole nation cry."