LAHORE - An accountability court, presided over by Ch Munir Ahmad, remanded former MPA of PML-N Hafiz Nauman to NAB custody till December 8 in the Lahore Parking Company scam.

NAB produced the accused to the court where a large number of PML-N workers are also present. NAB counsel informed the court that five persons have already been taken into custody in the same case. He said all accused acted in league in the LPC to illegally award contracts of parking to Green Park and the NTG. He said the Pepra rules were grossly violated in the award of contracts and the accused persons also did not made 246 parking operational to the loss of crore of the rupees to the national exchequer. The NAB counsel urged the Court for remanding Hafiz Naurman to Bureau’s custody for 15 days for investigating purposes.

Countering the NAB charges, counsel for Hazif Nauman said as MPA after 2008 election his client had performed as honorary head of the Company and all decisions in relation to the company were taken by the Board where he had only informal representation.

The counsel denied that Hazif Nauman had secured the benefit of any penny or he had any play role in the award of alleged illegal contracts. He said his client strictly adhered to the law while holding the top office in the company and all decisions were taken with the consensus at the level of board meetings. He said in 2013 the company following the rules and with transparency had awarded the contracts. He also told the court that Hafiz Nauman had quit the company on September 30, 2016 and presented the record concerning to the issue. The judge after hearing arguments on both sides reserved the decision and later announced to grant nine days remand of Hafiz Nauman to the NAB custody.

Court extends remand of Fawad, Ahad

An accountability court extended judicial remand of Fawad Hassan Fawad, former LDA DG Ahad Cheema and five others in Ashiana scam.

The court extended the judicial remand of all the accused for another 14 days with the direction to produce them again on December 13. Accountability Court Judge Munir Ahmad conducted the proceedings. Besides Fawad and Ahad,Shahid Shafiq Faridi, Imtiaz Haider,Bilal Qidwai and others were produced in the court. The NAB 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 scam.

The project cost increased to Rs 3.4 billion, while 61,000 people who had applied for plots in the project suffered.

However, the NAB had not filed reference against Fawad Hassan Fawad in the scam yet. NAB had also arrested Opposition Leader in National Assembly Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in connection with Ashiana scam and he was on 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 cost escalation of billions of rupees. Ahad was on judicial remand in LDA City scam till December 5.