Ashiana case: Last chance for Shehbaz Sharif to appear before court

LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday directed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif to appear before it on January 7, in a case related to Ashiana Housing scam, ARY News reported.

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“The court is giving last chance to the PML-N leader to show-up before the court,” the order issued by AC judge Amjad Nazeer Chaudhry reads.

The judge observed that the proceedings of the case were being affected due to continuous non-appearance of Shehbaz Sharif before the court.

Shehbaz Sharif and other accused were indicted in the case on February 18, by an accountability court in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing scandal.

The judge had framed charges against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and other accused during the hearing.

However, Shehbaz Sharif and other accused had denied the charges and termed the reference filed against him ‘false’.

Ashiana Housing scam

Former Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, former Federal Secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad, former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Ahad Cheema and others are already facing the charges of financial irregularities in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme.

According to NAB, “the contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company Chaudhry Latif & sons but former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his aides awarded the Rs 14bn contract to Lahore Casa Developers – a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is said to be owned by former Railways Minister Saad Rafique”.

As per law, it is illegal to make any agreement above Rs150mn with a single company.

“Fawad Hasan Fawad, who was the implementation secretary to the then Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif at the time, levelled charges of wrongdoings against Chaudhry Latif & sons so that the contract to be awarded to Casa Developers,” the anti-graft body claimed.