Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif was released from the sub-jail in the minister’s enclave in Islamabad on Friday, after National Accountability Bureau (NAB) obtained court’s orders for the same, it was reported. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader upon his release left the enclave and proceeded to go to the new Islamabad International Airport from where he flew to Lahore. Shehbaz Sharif’s flight to Lahore was scheduled for 11pm. The Lahore High Court on Thursday had accepted Shehbaz’s request for bail in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases. Shahbaz was taken into custody by NAB in connection with the Ashiana Housing case in October 5, 2018. The former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) had been charged with misuse of authority by unlawfully assuming powers of the board of directors of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), and awarding a contract to an ineligible proxy firm that resulted in the failure of the housing scheme. The scam caused a loss to the public exchequer and deprived 61,000 applicants of houses. It is also alleged that Shehbaz’s directive to entrust the project of a housing scheme to the Lahore Development Authority from the PLDC and intervention into affairs of the company was in violation of the Companies Ordinance, Memorandum and Article of Association and Corporate Governance Rules 2013. NAB had alleged that the former CM through his unlawful acts and misuse of authority caused a loss of Rs 660 million to the exchequer and the overall project cost Rs 3.39 billion. Published in Daily Times, February 16th 2019.