LAHORE: An accountability court on Saturday extended the judicial remand of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique by 16 days in the Paragon Housing Scheme scam.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) – which is probing into the notorious scam – produced Khawaja brothers before the court as their 14-day remand ended on Saturday. The court then further extended their judicial remand by 16 days.
“Paragon Housing reference will be submitted in the court within the 90 days limit,” the investigating officer told Accountability Judge Syed Najmul Hasan upon inquiring.
To this, the court ordered the anti-graft watchdog to “work fast and file the reference [so that the case can proceed]”.
While speaking to media after the hearing, Saad complained about being brought to the court in an armoured car “that looked like it was 60 years old”.
He said it had taken an hour to get to the court and added that because of the bumpy car ride, a pain in his leg had worsened.
The former railways minister said the Punjab Home Department and police were responsible. “The government will not remain theirs forever, what they are doing is not right,” he said.
On February 2, the court, after rejecting the bureau’s appeal for an extension in their physical remand, sent Khawaja brothers to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
The bureau has also initiated assets beyond means probe against the brothers. Besides, the bureau is also looking into some contracts of buying locomotives during the tenure of Saad Rafique as railway minister.
