ISLAMABAD - An Accountability Court (AC) Thursday summoned all accused including former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal on November 30, in Narowal Sports City Complex (NSCC) graft reference.
AC-III Judge Syed Asghar Ali conducted first hearing into the reference filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Ahsan Iqbal who had also been the minister for inter-provincial coordination during the regime of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) appeared before the court. The court directed all accused to ensure their presence on next date of hearing and adjourned the case.
It may be mentioned here that the NAB last day filed Narowal Sport City Complex reference in Accountability Court Islamabad against former minister Ahsan Iqbal pertaining to misuse of authority.
The reference stated that Ahsan Iqbal had managed to spend 90 percent funds of ministry of inter-provincial coordination in Narowal to get political benefits.
Being the then minister for inter-provincial coordination, Ahsan Iqbal illegally included sports city project into PSDP list.
The reference further alleged that PML-N’s leader Iqbal spent 59 percent funds of the ministry on Narowal project in 2013-14, 86 percent funds in 2014-15, 95 percent funds in 2015-16 and 98 percent funds in 2017 of the ministry were spent on sports city project.
The reference said that the former minister had allocated these funds just to get political strength in his constituency.
It further said that there were sufficient evidence against the accused and prayed the court to initiate a trial against him on these charges. The NAB had also named official of Ministry of Planning and Development, Asif Sheikh, former director general Pakistan Sports Board Akhter Nawaz Ganjera, PSB’s Sarfraz Rasool and a private contractor Muhammad Ahmed along with ex-minister Ahsan Iqbal in above reference.
