LAHORE - An accountability court on Wednesday extended the judicial remand of former principal secretary to ex-prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad, Lahore Development Authority former director general Ahad Cheema and others till November 29 in Ashiana Iqbal Housing scandal.

In addition to Fawad and Ahad, the other accused are: Shahid Shafiq Faridi, Imtiaz Haider and Bilal.  They were produced before Special Judge Accountability Court Syed Najamul Hassan Bukhari as they their judicial remand expired yesterday.

The accountability watchdog had already filed a reference against Cheema and five others over their alleged role in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing scam. According to the reference, Ahad Cheema caused a loss of Rs 660 million to the national exchequer in the Ashiana scam.

During the proceedings, the court heard the arguments of the National Accountability Bureau prosecutor and the accused’s counsel on an application by Fawad Hassan Fawad for return of his Laptop and other materials taken into custody by the NAB at the time of his arrest. After the arguments, the court allowed the application.

Earlier, the accountability court in the same Ashiana Housing scheme case, had approved 14-day extension in the physical remand of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

Moreover, the NAB prosecutor told the court that the feasibility report of the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme was prepared by Ahad Cheema, the former director general of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), who is also accused in the case. The court asked the prosecutor, “Will you proceed further from the feasibility report?”.

In response to NAB’s argument, the defence counsel said that Sharif had nothing to do with any report prepared by the LDA or anyone else. He added that that NAB could interrogate Sharif in jail. He further said that they (NAB) could send him a questionnaire in sub-jail and that there was no need for a physical remand.

The contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons but former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and his aides awarded the Rs 14 billion contract to Lahore Casa Developers which was ineligible for the purpose.

Due to allegedly illegal cancellation of the contract, the government had to pay damages to the contractor.The cancellation of the contract also delayed the project, resulting in billions of rupees.