Daily Times

Former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Monday file a petition in an accountability court here for his shifting to Islamabad.

PML-N stalwart Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique facing charges in Paragon Housing scam were produced before the accountability court in Lahore.

The court also granted permission to Khawaja Saad Rafique to attend the National Assembly session.

Rafique in his petition informed the court about a fire incident at his jail barrack in which he sustained injury after his head hit an iron rod during the fire. He requested to the court to declare a premises in Islamabad as sub jail to shift him over there adding that he could not travel eight hours to attend a session of the assembly.

The court during the hearing also warned Qaisar Ameen Butt, an approver in the case, over his failure to appear before the court in the case hearing.

The judge also expressed his resentment over late appearance of the NAB investigation officer in the case.

The approver statement of Qaisar Ameen Butt, was opened in the case hearing on Monday.

Learned judge ordered the prosecution to submit a copy of the approver’s statement to the defence counsel.

The Khawaja brothers, Nadeem Zia, Umar Zia, and Farhan Ali were named accused in the reference comprising of 17 volumes.

According to the reference, the Khawaja brothers and Nadeem Zia owned 93.2 per cent shares in the Paragon Housing Society.

It states that the former railway minister Khawaja Saad Rafique received monetary benefits to the tune of Rs58 million from the society whereas his brother Rs 39 million.

A total of 122 people recorded their statements against former railways minister and Brother, it added

An accountability court (AC) in Islamabad has on Monday extended the judicial remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) corruption case till January 21.

Former finance minister Miftah Ismail and two other suspects filed petitions in the court seeking exemption from appearing before it in the aforementioned case. The AC issued notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) directing it to present its arguments on January 13.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi talked to media and maintained that the incumbent government should answer on flaws made in the Army Act as it impaired the matter. While stressing on the need to rectify the mistakes, he said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) reviews every bill before supporting it.

On September 10, 2018, the apex court had directed the NAB to complete inquiry against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others for the alleged corruption in the LNG contract.

As the minister for petroleum and natural resources, Abbasi has been accused of granting contract on LNG to favourite company.

In June 2018, the NAB approved inquiry against former premier Nawaz Sharif and Abbasi, who was the former minister for petroleum and natural resources at that time.

It was also observed that this contract had allegedly caused a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer. In January, the NAB interrogated former finance minister Miftah Ismail in the same case.