LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Wednesday extended the interim bail of former Railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique till November 26 in the Paragon Housing Society scandal.

The National Accountability Bureau is interrogating Saad and his brother in the scandal on corruption charges. Headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, a two-member bench of the LHC extended the interim bail to the PML-N leaders and former ministers against their possible arrest by the NAB in the Paragon City scam.

The counsel of accused brother pleaded that they had nothing to do with Paragon City as they had already provided the NAB with all information required by the interrogators but they were being summoned time and again with mala fide intension.

Their counsel further submitted that the accountability watchdog had lost its credibility and its independence had been compromised for irrelevant consideration. He also alleged that NAB had become a party and victimising political opponents including the petitioners.

The petitioners had to move the Lahore High Court after their request for protective bail was rejected by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on October 11. They had sought protective bail and legal protection against alleged harassment from the NAB which had summoned them on Oct 16.

In their petition, both the PML-N leaders expressed the fear that they would be illegally arrested by the NAB as it arrested PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

Their counsel Amjad Pervaiz said that they were cooperating with the bureau in the investigation. The petition states that the bureau had become a stooge in the hands of the current rulers and resorted to victimisation of the opponents. Amjad Pervaiz told the court that NAB called people for an inquiry in its office and then arrests them.