NAB Produces Khawaja Brothers Before Accountability Court

By Muhammad YaseenPublished On 05 Jan 2023

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has produced PML-N leaders Khwaja Saad Rafiq and Khwaja Salman Rafiq before an accountability court for hearing in Paragon city.

Strict security arrangments have been made on the premises of the judicial complex. The counsels of both Khawaja brothers also appeared before the court and argued about their innocence, saying that the case against his clients was politically motivated. During the hearing, a reporter attempted to do an interview of Khawaja Saad Rafiq on which he was forced to leave the courtroom. The accountability court judge also issued a show-cause notice to police officials for not stopping the reporters from making videos and conducting interviews of the accused inside the courtroom.

On last hearing, the lawyers completed cross-examination of two witnesses on which the court extended till November 21 the judicial remand of PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafiq and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafiq in Paragon city scam.

On Oct 16, the same court rejected petitions of both Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Khawaja Salman Rafiq seeking their acquittal in paragon city case. Accountability Court Judge Jawadul Hassan was hearing the case. The judge after dismissing the plea of Khawaja brothers directed the NAB officials to keep continue their proceedings in accordance with the law.

The court also sought witnesses’ statements about their role in Paragon city.

In their bail plea, Khawaja brothers had questioned the jurisdiction of the NAB court and requested the court for their acquittal in the case. They denied their role in the corruption of Paragon City.
The lawyers argued that disputes regarding a private business did not come under the jurisdiction of NAB Ordinance, 1990 while their clients were innocent and had nothing to do with the corruption. The counsels argued that SECP was the right forum to look into the matter under the Companies Act 2017.

In the reference against Khwaja brothers, NAB had said that the accused brothers bagged around Rs 18.2 million from M/s Paragon City (Pvt) Limited in their bank accounts. The NAB said that both brothers established a housing project in the name of Air Avenue and deprived the public at large from their money.

Both leaders belonged to PML-N as Khwaja Saad Rafiq served as Federal Minister for Railways while Salman Rafiq was Minister for Specialized Healthcare Punjab. But both were arrested by the anti-graft boy over charges of plundering money from the citizens in the name of fake housing scheme and for their role in Paragon city scam.