Accountability court summons Shehbaz Sharif on January 7 in Ashiana scandal

LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday ordered Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif to appear before it on January 7 in connection with the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case.

Shehbaz’s lawyer Muhammad Nawaz Chaudhry had filed a plea seeking exemption for the PML-N leader and requested the court to postpone the hearing due to lawyer's strike.

The court in its written order said, “As per request on behalf of accused Shehbaz Sharif, adjourn to January 7, 2020 for arguments on the application for dispensation of personal attendance and appointment of pleader of accused Shehbaz Sharif, as last opportunity.”

“Accused Shehbaz Sharif shall also appear in person on next date,” the court order stated.

Ten people, including Shehbaz, have been indicted in the case and six witnesses have recorded their statements. The court added that the proceedings of the case were being affected due to continuous non-appearance of the opposition leader before the court.

Read also: Shehbaz Sharif says Ashiana case was politically motivated

Shehbaz is currently in London with his brother Nawaz Sharif who is seeking treatment. 

Shehbaz was arrested on October 5, 2018 by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in relation to the housing scam. On February 18, Shehbaz and nine others accused were indicted by an accountability court.

What is the Ashiana case?

In 2011, when Shehbaz Sharif was the chief minister of Punjab he launched an affordable housing project called the Ashiana Iqbal in Lahore. Over 6,000 homes were to be built for the poor and needy near Barki road in the city. Land measuring 3,100 kanals were allocated for the purpose.

The lowest bidder, Chaudhry Abdul Latif and Sons, were awarded the contract in December 2012, to develop the homes. But a few months later, concerns were raised about the bidding process, after which Sharif formed an inquiry committee headed by Tariq Bajwa, the then finance secretary.

Read also: Key highlights from LHC judgment granting Shehbaz Sharif bail

According to NAB, during this time Fawad Hassan Fawad, the then secretary implementation to the chief minister, “exerted undue pressure to have Latif and Sons’ contract cancelled” and rewarded to the second-lowest bidder, a firm owned by Kamran Kiyani.

Eventually, the contract was withdrawn from Chaudhry Abdul Latif and Sons’ in 2013, on the recommendation of the probe committee. The company then went to court and received Rs. 5.9 million as a settlement by the Punjab government.

As for the construction of the Ashiana homes, the project was then handed over to Lahore Casa Developers, which is considered a proxy of Paragon City Limited.