LAHORE - The Lahore High Court is likely to announce today the verdict on a petition moved by former LDA DG Ahad Khan Cheema against his arrest in Ashiyana housing scheme’s scam.

 A division bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najfi reserved the verdict after both sides concluded their arguments on Tuesday.  Cheema’s counsel had argued that the NAB arrested him by violating its own laws and without any justification. He said Cheema fully cooperated with the bureau and presented all information required in the summons. 

The counsel said that Ahad Khan Cheema was transferred from the office of LDA DG three years ago on April 28, 2016 and all the record whatsoever pertaining to the said housing project was never in his personal possession rather lied with the authority. The petitioner  prayed to the court to set aside decision of the NAB regarding his arrest and order it to release him.  However, the NAB’s prosecutor Rana Arif objected to the maintainability of the petition, arguing that the petitioner was in the bureau’s custody. He asked the court to dismiss the petition for being not maintainable as arrest could not be challenged during physical remand.

The prosecutor also submitted that the NAB arrested him in accordance with the law and all the legal requirements had been fulfilled before his arrest.

He submitted that Cheema was issued summons more than once but he did not appear before the NAB after which he was arrested. He opposed the petition, pleading the court to set aside the same for not being maintainable.