Fearing arrest by NAB, Saad Rafique knocks on IHC's doors

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique on Wednesday approached the Islamabad High Court (LHC) against his possible arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a graft case. 

The former railways minister moved a petition in the IHC seeking directives for the Bureau not to arrest him during his next appearance before its team for questioning in the Paragon Housing Society scam.

Citing NAB officials as respondents in his petition, Saad Rafique pleaded the court to restrain the Bureau from arresting him. He further requested that the Bureau be directed to grant two weeks’ time for submitting response before taking any such action.

Last month, Khawaja Saad Rafique appeared before a NAB team to answer its queries over his alleged involvement in the Paragon Housing Society corruption scandal.

NAB had launched an investigation into the scandal after protests by dozens of victims against the housing society fraud.

Former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Ahad Cheema and others are in custody over allegations of corruption against them in Ashiana Iqbal Housing Society scam.

Shehbaz Sharif has been accused of ordering cancellation of contract of Ashiana-e-Iqbal to a successful bidder, leading to the award of the contract to his favourite builder, which resulted in a loss of Rs 193 million approximately.