BoP lawyer tells court accused persons committed fraud by opening many fake accounts.

LAHORE  -  The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday cleared former Bank of Punjab (BoP) president Hamesh Khan and CEO of Harris Steel Industries Sheikh Muhammad Afzal in the BoP fraud case after 17 years, citing a lack of evidence.

A NAB prosecutor filed an application before Accountability Court Judge Zubair Shahzad Kiyani for the withdrawal of the reference during the proceedings, stating that a recent review revealed no substantial evidence of corruption against the accused. He further submitted that the NAB chairman had instructed the withdrawal of the case against the accused.

However, the BoP counsel opposed the withdrawal, arguing that the accused had opened numerous fake accounts and committed fraud. Sheikh Afzal’s lawyer, Muhammad Umar Qureshi, urged the court to officially discharge his client from the case. Subsequently, the court adjourned further proceedings until November 18.

This case was originally filed by NAB in 2008, alleging large-scale financial fraud involving multiple fake accounts and unauthorized loans totaling billions of rupees. The bureau alleged that billions of rupees were embezzled through the connivance of former BoP president Hamesh Khan, CEO of Harris Steel Industries Sheikh Muhammad Afzal, and others.