Pakistan Supreme Court postpones bail hearings in Ashiana case
Prosecutor says accused caused losses to exchequer through Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Monday adjourned bail hearings for two people accused in the corruption case pertaining to the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme, until November 29.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Azmat Saeed heard the bail pleas filed by Munir Zia and Imtiaz Haider in the housing scheme scandal.
During the course of proceedings, the assistant counsel of the suspects informed the bench that senior counsel Azam Nazeer Tarrar was busy with SC’s Lahore Registry due to which he could not appear before the court.
He requested the court to adjourned hearing of the case for three-days.
Addressing the NAB prosecutor, Justice Azmat Saeed asked, “What really is the case about?”
Loss
The prosecutor replied that the accused persons had caused a loss to the national exchequer through the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme, adding that the contract of the scheme was awarded to a company named CASA despite someone else had won it during bid.
Justice Saeed asked, “Has the NAB arrested the owners of CASA company?”
The NAB prosecutor informed the court that CASA was a joint venture of three companies and an interim reference had been filed against six accused persons in this regard.
He further contended that former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and Fawad Hasan Fawad had already been arrested and investigated in the above scam, adding that a final reference would be filed later by the anti graft body.
Justice Saeed questioned why, if CASA was a joint venture of three companies, only six accused were arrested?
He remarked that NAB officials should prepare their submissions properly.
The bench asked whether the main accused in the case, Ahad Cheema, had approached the court to seek bail.
No bail plea
At this, the NAB officials replied that the main accused had not yet filed a bail plea to the Supreme Court.
The bench observed that this was an important case and NAB should investigate properly. ‘We are not giving any decision this day as counsels of the accused are absent.”
Later, the bench adjourned hearing of the case till November 29.
Shahbaz Sharif has been in the NAB’s custody since October 5, amid investigations into the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case.
His son, Hamza Shahbaz, has also been summoned for interrogations pertaining to the case.