Ashiana case: Court declares three absconders as proclaimed offenders

LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday declared three absconders in Ashiana Housing scandal as proclaimed offenders, ARY News reported.

Nadeem Zia, Kamran Kiani and Khalid Hussain have been declared proclaimed offenders by the court as they were absconding and skipping hearing into cases despite several summons.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also presented a report in the court about the three absconders. The accountability court had ordered completion of inquiry into the case on Jan 10.

Also read: Court to indict Shehbaz in Ashiana Housing scam on Feb 18

Former chief minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif and other 18 persons nominated in the case have also been summoned by the court on Feb 18. The court is likely to indict nominated accused in the case in next hearing.

In the last hearing on Feb 7, the accountability judge had expressed his resentment over absence of Shehbaz Sharif in today’s hearing, saying,  “where is he, Shehbaz was supposed to be indicted in the case today.”

The court stated that the police were just guardians and it was the state which was answerable on who had allowed Shehbaz Sharif to stay in Islamabad, adding that he was not granted the right to a medical so he wouldn’t appear in court.

“My client is facing problem of backbone and advised to avoid long travel,” Shehbaz’s counsel said and added that there was no such order for indictment of his client.