ISLAMABAD    -  The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday sought report from the Accountability Court about bail of former Director General (DG) Lahore Development Authority (LDA) in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and assets beyond means cases. 

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam conducted hearing of an appeal of ex-DG LDA against the Lahore High Court (LHC), which dismissed post-arrest bail petitions of Ahad Cheema in April 2020. 

Azam Nazir Tarar Advocate, the counsel for Ahad Cheema, said the co-accused in this case had been granted bail and his client should be treated like other accused.  

However, Justice Mushir Alam said that after examining the report, they would decide the matter. Later, the bench deferred hearing for two weeks. 

The NAB had arrested the Ahad Cheema in relation to cases of Punjab Land Development Company famously known as Ashiana Housing Scheme. The NAB claimed that it had plethora of evidences that Ahad Cheema had illegally allotted lands for the Ashiana Housing Scheme in Lahore. 

According to a petition filed before Lahore High Court, Ahad Cheema owned property and assets worth billion of rupees inside and outside Pakistan. In 2018 he had given Rs.21.6 million as loan to one of his brothers while investing Rs.15 million in the United States with another individual. He also owned 2.5kg of gold, which was in his wife’s possession while his annual expenses were over Rs.8.4 million. 

It added that he also owned another piece of land measuring 113 kanals. His 3-kanal plot in Lahore’s Baath village in Cantt is worth Rs.20 million and another plot in Cantt is worth Rs.40 million. There are other properties in his name as well, located in Model Town and other areas of Lahore, Cooperative Society in Islamabad, Hillock View Islamabad and Federal Government Employees Housing Scheme in Islamabad. 

He bought a plot in FIA Employees Housing Society Islamabad, one in G-13 and 2 in Faisal Residencia Islamabad on instalments. Cheema also bought a plot in LDA Avenue worth more than 10 million rupees during his tenure as LDA DG and also has cash, bonds and shares worth Rs.14.5 million.