Ashiana Housing Case: Court Reserves Verdict On Acquittal Applications Of Two Accused

Faizan Hashmi Published January 20, 2022 | 08:35 PM

An accountability court on Thursday reserved verdict on acquittal applications of two accused in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scheme case

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jan, 2022 ) :An accountability court on Thursday reserved verdict on acquittal applications of two accused in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scheme case.

Accountability Court Judge Sajjad Ali conducted the proceedings, wherein former Lahore Development Authority director general Ahad Cheema and other accused appeared.

However, the court was requested to exempt Opposition Leader In National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif from personal appearance for one-day, through an application. The court was apprised that Shehbaz Sharif was suffering from Corona and he was tested positive.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also filed a reply to the acquittal applications filed by two accused - Imtiaz Haider and Bilal Qudwai - during the proceedings. The NAB's counsel requested the court to dismiss the acquittal applications filed by the accused.

Subsequently, the court reserved verdict on the acquittal applications filed by the said accused and also exempted Shehbaz Sharif from personal appearance for one-day, besides adjourning further hearing.

It is pertinent to mention here that the court had recorded statements of 23 prosecution witnesses so far whereas the bureau had submitted a list of 86 witnesses in the case.

The court had indicted 13 accused including Shehbaz Sharif in the case, The NAB in the reference alleged that Shehbaz Sharif being the chief minister of Punjab misused his authority by unlawfully assuming powers of board of Directors of PLDC. It said he in connivance with his co-suspects awarded a contract to an ineligible proxy firm that resulted in failure of Ashiana housing scheme causing a loss to public exchequer and deprived 61,000 applicants of houses.