NAB gives clean chit to PM Shehbaz Sharif in one more scandal _ Ashiana Housing scheme
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif got a clean chit in one more scam _ Ashiana Housing on Saturday.
The National Accountability Bureau gave a clean chit to PM Shehbaz Sharif in the Ashiana housing scandal.
The NAB has submitted its report to an accountability court in Lahore relating to the Ashiana case and recommended the acquittal of the accused in this case, including Shehbaz Sharif.
The accountability court, however, has summoned the lawyers for arguments on May 27 in this case. Accountability Court judge Sheikh Sajjad Ahmed heard the reference.
Shehbaz Sharif’s representative, Advocate Anwaar Hussain appeared in court and marked the attendance.
The NAB did not find any evidence of corruption involving Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana housing contracts, NAB said in its report.
According to the NAB report, neither Shehbaz Sharif got any favor/benefit from the Ashiana Housing project, nor the scheme caused any loss to the national exchequer.
The NAB report also stated that it did not find evidence of the illegal use of powers against Shehbaz Sharif in this case.
Meanwhile, according to the NAB report, Kamran Kayani, brother of Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the former army chief did not cause any loss to the treasury.
Also, Fawad Hasan Fawad, former principal secretary to prime minister Nawaz Sharif was not involved in the Ashiana Housing scam.
When Shehbaz Sharif was the chief minister of Punjab, he implemented the Ashiana Housing scheme in the province. The motto of the project was to provide shelter to homeless people at an affordable cost.
However, the project became controversial when Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power in 2018, it launched a probe against Shehbaz Sharif and others.
The government claimed the involvement of Shehbaz Sharif and others in corruption in this housing scheme. The NAB, nonetheless, found nothing against Sharif and others and declared them innocent in this case.
