Shehbaz appears before court in Ashiana Iqbal Housing scam

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday appeared before Lahore’s accountability court in a case related to Ashiana Iqbal Housing scam case, reported ARY News.

Accountability Judge Najmul Hasan is hearing the case.

At the outset of the hearing, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor presented an investigation report to the court.

The judge asked Shehbaz Sharif to have a seat when he asked to leave the courtroom owing to his backache. Three witnesses are also present in the courtroom to record their testimonies.

Later, he was allowed to leave the courtroom by the honourable judge.

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’.

In Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme, Shehbaz Sharif is facing charges of misusing his authority to illegally issue directives for cancellation of the contract with regard to the housing project in 2014, causing Rs715m loss to the exchequer, the reference reads.