Narowal Sports City reference: Verdict reserved on Ahsan Iqbal's acquittal plea
- By Jahangir Aslam -
- Feb 10, 2022
ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad has reserved a verdict on the acquittal plea of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal Sports City reference, ARY News reported on Thursday.
The accountability court will announce its reserved verdict on Ahsan Iqbal’s acquittal plea on February 23. During the hearing, Ahsan Iqbal’s counsel Zulfiqar Naqvi gave arguments on the acquittal plea in Narowal Sports City reference.
The defence counsel told the court that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has failed to present any evidence of alleged corrupt practices by Ahsan Iqbal nor proved any irregularity in the Narowal Sports City project.
He argued that the filing of Narowal Sports City reference against Ahsan Iqbal was aimed at the character assassination of his client and he became the victim of political revenge by his rivals.
Zulfiqar Naqvi continued that the Narowal Sports City project was launched in public interests that had been approved by a concerned forum including Central Development Working Party (CDWP). The approval of the sports project had been given at a time when Ahsan Iqbal did not come into power.
He added that the Green Line project was also completed with the funding of the federal government just like many other provincial projects funded by the Centre.
The defence lawyer pleaded with the accountability court to accept the acquittal plea of Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal Sports City reference.
On the other hand, the NAB prosecutor opposed the acquittal of Ahsan Iqbal in the corruption reference and apprised the court that the bureau has solid evidence of the politician’s corrupt practices. The prosecutor requested the court to reject Iqbal’s acquittal plea.
Later, the court reserved a verdict on Iqbal’s acquittal plea and adjourned the hearing till February 23.
Narowal Sports City reference
On December 22, last year, the court had indicted PML-N Leader Ahsan Iqbal in the case. He pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges.
He has been named as accused in the Narowal Sports City reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He is accused of inflicting losses worth billions of rupees on the national exchequer by launching the Sports City project in his constituency.