News Desk |
The National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday (today) has arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique in a case pertaining to Paragon Housing Scheme.
The PML-N leaders were detained after the two-judge bench headed by Justice Tariq at Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected their request for an extension in their interim bail.
Earlier, Qaiser Amin Butt, a director of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited had become an approver against PMLN’s leader Khawaja Saad Rafique in the Paragon and Ashiana Housing case. NAB has booked Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique under three cases pertaining to Paragon housing scam, the Ashiana Housing Scheme and corruption in railways.
Top PMLN and PPP leadership including Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Asif Ali Zardari, is already facing corruption charges. The arrest of Khawaja brothers does not come as surprise.
The Lahore High Court had extended the interim bail of Khawaja brothers in the same Paragon Housing Society scandal till December 11. Being partners in a Paragon housing scheme, both the accused reportedly benefited from Ashiyana Iqbal housing scheme through Paragon housing scheme.
The Bureau had launched an investigation into the scandal after protests by victims. Former Lahore Development Authority DG Ahad Cheema and others are already in the NAB custody over the corruption allegations.
The opposition leader, PMLN’s Shahbaz Sharif has already been in the custody of NAB for his involvement in the Ashiana housing scam. He allegedly canceled the contract of a company that won the bidding for the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scheme and awarded it to another company, Lahore Casa Developers.
Read more: Noose tightening around Khawaja brothers: Qaiser Butt arrested by NAB
This caused a loss of Rs6 million to the national exchequer. Lahore Casa Developers is a proxy of Paragon City, which is owned by Rafique
PM Khan has categorically repeated that no one is above the law and his government will see corrupts meeting the fate they deserve. Top PMLN and PPP leadership including Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Asif Ali Zardari, is already facing corruption charges. The arrest of Khawaja brothers does not come as surprise.