LAHORE - A national accountability court Tuesday allowed one-day transit remand of former principal secretary to prime minister Fawad Hassan to National Accountability Bureau for his appearance before a court in Gilgit Baltistan.

The NAB officials produced him before the court and pleaded for his transit remand after a court in Gilgit Baltistan summoned him.

The bureaucrat, however, pleaded the court that medically he was not fit and could not travel but an investigating officer opposed his stance saying that he was medically fit and can travel. The IO said he would also be provided basic health facilities if required. At this, the court allowed his one-day transit remand to the bureau.

Fawad Hassan Fawad was already in the NAB’s custody on physical remand till July 19 (tomorrow) for his alleged role in Ashiyana Iqbal housing project.

On July 05, the NAB authorities arrested Fawad over charges of misusing his authority as being the secretary implementation of former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and causing loss of billion to the national exchequer. During his previous appearance before the court, the NAB Officials said that Fawad misused his authority and got the Ashiana Scheme’s contract suspended. They alleged that he played his role in awarding the same contract to Casa Developers against high rate of Rs 4 billion, they said.

They said the project was initially given to to M/s Chaudhary Latif against very low price of Rs 1.5. They said being secretary of the then Punjab Chief Minister he misused his authority and caused huge loss to the national exchequer. The government, they said, had to pay Rs 6 million as fine to the successful bidder  due to cancellation of the contract.

Fawad was also accused of  concealing the report of the inquiry committee about the contract from the senior officials due to his mala fide intention. The inquiry committee had been working under the supervision of the then Finance Secretary Tariq Bajwa. According to the findings of the inquiry committee, the contract awarded to Ch Latif and Sons was legal and approved as per rules.

The contract of the Ashiyana Iqbal Project was suspended eight months after it was approved and awarded.

The contractor, Ch Latif and Sons, had paid Rs 70 million in advance as mobilisation charges. The work was also in progress when the project was suspended.

The “illegal actions” taken by Fawad Hassan Fawad delayed the project and multiplied its cost. The Lahore NAB summoned the accused on several occasions, but he appeared before the investigation team twice and finally was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon.

Fawad Hassan Fawad, who was present in the courtroom, denied all allegations of corruption leveled against him and said he had no role in getting the contract suspended. His duty was to get the orders of the Punjab CM implemented and he did his duty, he said.  He fell into tears while defending his position in the court.

Another development in the same matter is that Saima Ahad, wife of former LDA DG Ahad Khan Cheema approached the Lahore High Court against the NAB officials for frequently issuing her summons.

She moved the petition through Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar, saying that the  NAB investigators had been summoning her again and again and making her sit at the bureau for hours. She said being a working lady and mother of a suckling baby, it was not possible for her to visit the NAB office on regular basis. She pleaded that the NAB be directed to provide her a questionnaire in writing instead of summoning her again and again.

After hearing initial arguments, a LHC division bench  sought reply the NAB and adjourned the hearing for two days.