Paragon scam: LHC seeks detailed answer from NAB by March 6

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sought a detailed answer from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the allegations against the Khawaja brothers in the Paragon Housing Society scheme case, ARY News reported.

The high court issued a notice to the accountability watchdog in this regard while hearing a bail plea filed by the brothers. The court directed to submit the response on March 6.

In the bail petition, former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique had requested the court to grant them bail.

The petitioners said they fully cooperated in the investigation and provided all the required records. However, they said, the NAB failed to prove the allegations.

Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique said in their petitions that they were arrested by the accountability watchdog in the Paragon Housing Scheme case, but no corruption charges could be established against them.

On February 16, an accountability court extended the judicial remand of both the siblings for 16 days till March 4 in the Paragon Housing Society scheme case.

Khawaja brothers are being investigated by the accountability watchdog for alleged corruption in Paragon Housing Society and accumulating wealth beyond known sources of income.

“The NAB is taking action against us on political grounds,” they said.

Saad Rafique and Salman Rafique were arrested on December 11 after the LHC rejected their bail plea.

NAB had launched an investigation into the alleged scam in November last year after a number of victims staged protests and held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club against the fraud committed by Ashiana Iqbal Housing Society.

Last year, the anti-graft authority arrested former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Ahad Khan Cheema and others over allegations of corruption in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Society scam.