WPK_181211-Rafique-(Read-Only)
Senior politicians from ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party Khawaja Saad Rafique, in blue coat, and his brother Khawja Salman Rafique, second left, leave a court in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. Image Credit: AP

Lahore: Pakistan’s former railway minister and his brother were arrested on Tuesday by the country’s anti-graft body for their alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar housing scam, amid protests by the PML-N workers.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, a close aide of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, and his brother Salman Rafique, a former minister in the Punjab province government, were arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the Lahore High Court rejected their bail application, a NAB official said.

NAB spokesperson Nawazish Ali Asim said that Rafique brothers have been arrested for “taking financial benefits” in the Lahore’s Paragon Housing Society.

He said the suspects were also “beneficial owners” of the housing scheme — Paragon City (Pvt) Ltd — which was launched in 2005 on the basis of forged and fabricated documents.

According to the spokesperson, the business partner of Rafique brothers, Qasim Amin Butt has turned approver in the case

“Rafique brothers, along with Butt, in connivance with one Nadeem Zia and other launched an illegal housing scheme with alleged approvals from Town Municipal Administration (TMA) Aziz Bhatti Town, Lahore,” he said, adding that in 2013, all TMA approved housing schemes were transferred to Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

However, the records of the Paragon Housing Society was intentionally not handed over to the LDA by the suspects, he alleged.

The NAB said the Paragon City Housing Society has not yet been approved by the LDA. Butt is in jail while Nadeem Zia is reported to have fled to the US.

Meanwhile, a large number of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers gathered outside the high court premises.

They chanted slogans and even tried to stop NAB officials from arresting Rafique brothers.