PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif pleads the court for exemption from appearance in the case.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-24th Oct, 2019) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif appeared before an accountability court hearing in Ashiana Housing Scheme scam.
As hearing commenced, Shehbaz Sharif said that he did not commit any corruption and the cases against him were moved for political revenge. He said the time of the nation and court was being wasted due to such cases. On it, Accountability Court Judge Amjad Nazeer Chaudhry responded that the reality would be unveiled after completion of the trial.
During the proceedings, Shehbaz Sharif requested the court for exemption from the case hearings due to severe backache. "I face trouble in appearing before the court due to pain in my body," Shehbaz Sharif pleaded before the court. At this, the couort observed that request for exemption would be taken after recording testimonies. The NAB arrested Shehbaz Sharif last year on Oct 5 for his role in Ashiana Housing Scheme scam. The NAB alleged that Shehbaz Sharif awarded illegal contracts to his favorite firm. It also said that a lucrative sum of Rs 1.5 billion was wasted withhout conducting any proper survey.
Fawad Hassan Fawad, the principal secretary to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, became approver in the case, saying that he had awarded a contract to a “favourite firm” in the Rs14 billion Ashiana Housing project at the behest of Shahbaz Sharif. chaudhary Latif and Sons was the company which the NAB said won the contract but even then the contract was given to Lahore's Casa Developers --a proxy group of Paragon city (Pvt) Limited--which is said to be owned by former Federal minister Khwaja Saad Rafique.
