News Desk |
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique’s plea for a protective bail.
Former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique on Wednesday 10th October filed a plea in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking protective bail. IHC’s division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani today rejected the Khawaja brother’s plea.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been probing Rafique in connection to an inquiry into a private housing scheme scam. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has also been summoned by NAB a number of times for questioning in the case.
The counsel said that Saad Rafique also appeared in person before a combined investigation team on the same date and extended full cooperation and divulged whatever information was within his knowledge.
In his plea, Rafique had stated that NAB issued summons notices to him on March 20 in the Paragon Housing Society scam and on March 28 he submitted his reply and related documents. “After a detailed investigation session, NAB directed that more documents be submitted which I did on April 5”, he further said.
Citing the recent arrest of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, the ex-railways minister said the NAB chairman and officials subordinate to him were acting like an agent of the present regime. “The bureau is abusing the process of law for political victimization,” said Salman Rafique.
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The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif in the Aashiana Housing Scandal. NAB on Wednesday, October 5th had summoned Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif and arrested him, GVS reported.
The accountability bureau had earlier arrested senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad, accused in various corruption cases, including the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case. Sources also revealed that Shahbaz was summoned after revelations made by Fawad during interrogation.
“If arrest warrants are issued then I should be given two weeks,” the PML-N leader requested in order to approach the court of competent jurisdiction for bail in accordance with law.
According to various news outlets, Saad Rafique in his bail petition said that he had been scrutinized by NAB several times. His petition read: “In the post-coup 1999 era, an inquiry was authorized against him [Saad Rafique] under NAB Ordinance 1999, during which his entire career was probed into at length.
Yet, NAB could not find any wrongdoing against him.” Notwithstanding immense pressure by the then military dictator, the petition also said, the inquiry was closed and the inconvenience caused was regretted by NAB after probing the matter for three years.
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Before July 25, 2018 polls, it stated, the petitioner was served with call-up notice on March 20, 2018, on the subject of an inquiry against the management of Paragon City Private Limited, and others. In compliance, the petition added, the requisite information and documents were submitted along with a written reply on March 28.
The counsel said that Saad Rafique also appeared in person before a combined investigation team on the same date and extended full cooperation and divulged whatever information was within his knowledge. The petition said that the categorical stand of the petitioner was, he had neither been director nor a shareholder of the Paragon City Private Limited project nor ever had any say in its affairs
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“If arrest warrants are issued then I should be given two weeks,” the PML-N leader had requested in order to approach the court of competent jurisdiction for bail in accordance with law.