Paragon City reference against Khawaja brothers sent back to NAB
- By Web Desk -
- Mar 29, 2023
LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore on Wednesday returned the reference filed against Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) owing to lack of jurisdiction, ARY News reported.
The AC judge announced the reverbed verdict after hearing arguments on acquittal pleas filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders in the Paragon Housing Society case.
The decision follows recent amendments in the law.
During the hearing today, Khawaja brothers’ lawyer, Amja Parvez contended that his clients had nothing to do with the case and pointed out that it didn’t fall in the jurisdiction of the court.
Read More: WITNESS CROSS-EXAMINED IN PARAGON HOUSING SOCIETY REFERENCE HEARING
He maintained the anti-graft watchdog had failed to present any concrete evidence against them in the case.
The reference
According to National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Saad Rafique and others had launched a housing project named Air Avenue, which was later renamed to Paragon City (Pvt) Ltd.
According to the reference, Saad Rafique, Salman Rafique and Nadeem Zia owned 93.2 per cent shares in the Paragon Housing Society.
It states that the former railway minister received monetary benefits to the tune of Rs58 million from the society whereas his brother Rs39 million.