Former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif was on Friday arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at its Lahore office in connection with the Rs14 billion Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme case, the bureau said in a statement. NAB requested the court for a 14-day physical remand of Shahbaz, NAB prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua Said.
Shahbaz was detained by NAB officials after he appeared before the bureau in the Saaf Pani Company scam case at around 2:55pm. The news of his arrest emerged around 3:35pm after his car was sent away. His private staff who accompanied him as security were also sent away.
Meanwhile, PML-N' s members of the National Assembly have submitted a letter to the NA speaker, requestioning a session of the lower house to discuss the opposition leader's arrest. The requisition request is accompanied by the signatures of 90 MNAs.
NAB Lahore intimated the NA speaker regarding Shahbaz's arrest through a letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, saying the bureau had executed the warrant of arrest against the opposition leader.
Allegations against Shahbaz
According to a NAB notice sent to the former Punjab chief minister on January 16, 2018, Shahbaz is accused of ordering the cancellation of award of contract of Ashiana-i-Iqbal to successful bidder Chaudhry Latif and Sons, leading to award of the contract to Lahore Casa Developers, a proxy group of Paragon City Private Limited, which resulted in the loss of approximately Rs193 million.
He is also accused of directing the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) to assign the Ashiana-i-Iqbal project to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), resulting in the award of contract to the Lahore Casa developers, causing the loss of Rs715m and the ultimate failure of the project.
NAB has also accused Shahbaz of directing the PLDC to award the consultancy services of the Ashiana-i-Iqbal project to Engineering Consultancy Services Punjab (ECSP) for Rs 192m while the actual cost was supposed to be Rs35m as quoted by Nespak.
PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif condemned the arrest of his younger brother, saying it was "not just regrettable, but also ridiculous".
Policemen patrol outside the NAB office following Shahbaz's arrest. — AFP
"Everyone knows that the PTI government is behind this worse kind of revenge," he claimed, according to his party.
Nawaz said the PTI government should remain prepared to face the same kind of treatment tomorrow "that they mete out to their opponents today".
"The government shouldn't put the burden of its incompetence on Shahbaz Sharif," the elder Sharif said.
He said as chief minister Punjab, Shahbaz had set a grand example of service and honesty. His services had been acknowledged by the Pakistani people, foreign governments and international institutions, Nawaz claimed.
'Not even a single penny's loss'
PML-N leader and Shahbaz's son, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, lashed out at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government over his father's arrest, claiming that it was part of Imran Khan's effort to save his government after the October 14 by-elections.
Fawad Hasan Fawad, former principal secretary to ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in his statement before NAB in August had claimed that he had awarded a contract to a “favourite firm” in the Ashiana Housing project on Shahbaz's behest. A source at the time said that Fawad had also provided “incriminating evidence” against the ex-chief minister in the corruption case, making it difficult for him (Sharif) to defend himself before a combined investigation team of the NAB Lahore.
Shahbaz is also an accused in the Saaf Pani Company scam case. The NAB’s Lahore office had re-summoned him in that case today.
In November 2017, NAB had launched a thorough probe into the affairs of the 56 public-sector companies formed by Shahbaz administration in Punjab for their alleged involvement in corruption.
Source: Dawn News web desk
Source: Dawn News web desk
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