Hashmi faces fresh case for illegal property deals

The National Accountability Bureau has prepared a fresh corruption case against ARD President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, who has already been arrested for allegedly abetting mutiny.

A source confirmed that the NAB had completed investigation in a fresh case against Hashmi to be sent to an accountability court shortly. Hashmi is already on bail in a case of possessing assets beyond known sources of income which is being tried in the accountability court in Lahore.

The source said that in the new case, the NAB has alleged that Javed Hashmi had taken possession of land belonging to the Awqaf Department, and had illegally sold the land, making millions of rupees. The source said that Hashmi has also been accused of acquiring houses in Islamabad, Multan and three houses in his ancestral village Mukhdoom Rasheed, one cotton factory, one oil mill, about 500 acres of agricultural land and a number of vehicles through illegal means.

When contacted, Maimoona Hashmi the daughter of Hashmi, said: "My father and other family members have nothing more than what Hashmi declared at the time of the last elections. We invite the government to compare our assets which we now possess against those that we had before the elections." She said the NAB had nothing new against Hashmi.