NAB allows Ahad Cheema to meet wife on 'humanitarian grounds'
Cheema's wife had accused NAB of not granting access to her husband since the past 5 days
February 26, 2018
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday released a photo of former LDA DG Ahad Cheema's meeting with his wife following accusations from the latter for not allowing the two to meet.
Speaking on Geo News' programme Naya Pakistan, Cheema's wife had accused NAB of not allowing access to her husband since the past five days despite a valid court order.
According to a notification issued by the apex anti-corruption organisation, Chairman NAB Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal had allowed the meeting on the basis of humanitarian grounds.
The bureau has performed its duties while remaining under legal boundaries and does not believe in inappropriate behaviour, states the notification.
There was no interference during the hour-long meeting, stated NAB, adding that the bureau respects the self-respect of all individuals.
"Cheema is hail and hearty in NAB's custody and the released picture is a visual representation of the same," said the NAB notification.
The formed LDA director general, arrested on February 21, is accused of misusing his authority and with criminal intent, to award a contract of the Ashiana-e-Iqbal project of approximately Rs14 billion to Lahore Casa Developers — a joint-venture which was ineligible for the contract.
He is also accused of receiving illegal gratification in the form of a 32-Kanal land valuing Rs30.09 million approximately from the owners of Paragon City (Pvt) Ltd.
Court grants remand of Bismillah Engineering CEO
An accountability court hearing the Ashiana-e-Iqbal corruption scandal case granted a seven-day physical remand of Shahid Shafiq — the CEO of Bismillah Engineering.
The company was one of the three companies that were part of a joint venture, Lahore Casa Developers, which is accused of being unlawfully awarded a contract for the Ashiana-e-Iqbal housing scheme project.
Shafiq will be presented before the court, along with former director general of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Ahad Cheema, on March 5.
Punjab bureaucracy officers resume work after protest
Work in Lahore's Civil Secretariat resumed Monday after officers of the provincial bureaucracy, who had closed their offices to protest Cheema’s arrest, returned to their daily routine.
According to the disgruntled officers, they returned on the assurance of the chief secretary but would continue to extend legal help to Cheema.
The officers also said that they were not running away from the investigation but would not tolerate disrespect of any of their colleagues.
