An accountability court on Thursday sent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif to jail on judicial remand in connection with the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme case, a private TV channel reported.
Shehbaz, who has been in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) since October 5 in connection with the case, was presented before an accountability court in Lahore as his physical remand ended. As the hearing started, the NAB sought an extension in Shehbaz’s remand. However, the NAB prosecutor failed to provide satisfactory answers after which the court rejected the accountability watchdog’s request for a further extension in the remand and ordered that he be sent to jail on judicial remand.
Following the court orders, Shehbaz was shifted to the Camp Jail on Ferozepur Road. He will be presented before the court again on December 13.
A large number of PML-N workers gathered outside the court premises and tried to remove the barriers. Police tried to stop them which resulted in a clash and baton charge. A PML-N worker was injured during the baton charge by police while some involved in creating chaos were also taken into custody.
“PML-N workers came in an aggressive mood. They tried to clash with the police and the personnel responded,” Punjab Minister for Information Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan told the TV channel. Stating that no one can be allowed to take the law in his own hands, he said, “The police acted calmly but the situation was hyped up. This violence was pre-planned.”
Meanwhile, NAB has submitted its investigation report about corruption charges against Shehbaz Sharif in the accountability court. According to the report, Punjab former chief minister failed to disclose the source of income of about Rs 170 million he presented as gift to his sons. “From year 2011 to 2017, Rs 140 million were deposited in his account. He got a property in Murree on lease through Ramzan Sugar Mills with an amount of over Rs 20 million,” the report said. “Around 55 million rupees were transferred through Masroor Anwar in the account from 2015-17. An amount of 39 million was transferred in his account from year 2013 to 2015 and the money was transferred during the process of Ashiana Housing Scheme contract,” it said, claiming that Shehbaz Sharif failed to satisfy NAB about these transactions.
According to the report, Masroor Anwar and Muzammil Raza have been employees of the Sharif family. Both of them transferred amounts to Sharif family for a number of times from 2010 to 2017, it revealed. “In Malik Maqsood Ahmed’s account, Rs 3.4 billion were transferred. According to the available record, Maqsood Ahmed’s office address and phone number are same as of Shehbaz Sharif, However, Shehbaz refused to recognize Masroor Anwar and Maqsood Ahmed,” according to the report.
Published in Daily Times, December 7th 2018.
