- NAB to file four additional references against Cheema as probe reveals offshore accounts in Turkey and Portugal
LAHORE: Officers belonging to the District Management Group (DMG) on Friday locked down their offices in protest against, what they term is, the “unlawful arrest” of the former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Ahad Cheema by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The protest call was given by Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Umar Rasool.
During a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the officers demanded Cheema’s release, saying that if his arrest was necessary he should have been taken into custody properly and not in an “unlawful” way.
Later in the day, the chief minister directed the officials to reopen their offices.
Earlier on Thursday, a large number of officers from the administrative services and divisional commissioners in Punjab called on the Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed in an emergency meeting at the Civil Secretariat, where they expressed their concerns over the arrest.
The meeting was attended by BISP Director General Mohiuddin Ahmad Wani, finance special secretary, additional chief secretary, former Lahore commissioner Rashid Langrial, Agriculture Secretary Mehmood Ahmad and other prominent bureaucrats.
During the meeting, the bureaucrats unanimously passed a resolution against NAB.
CHEEMA’S OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS REVEALED:
Meanwhile, according to media reports, NAB is all set to file four additional references against Ahad Cheema and has launched investigations into the former LDA DG’s offshore accounts in Turkey and Portugal.
According to reports, information about Cheema’s offshore accounts has become part of NAB’s case against the former LDA DG and the additional references will include Lahore Metro Bus project, Orange line Metro Train project, Haveli Bahadur Shah power project and Ring Road project.
The references will be filed during the time Cheema remains under remand in NAB.
The report further suggests that Cheema was contemplating leaving the country to avoid arrest, however the NAB authorities took him into custody before he could leave Pakistan.
LHC ISSUES NOTICE TO NAB:
Earlier on Thursday, a Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench issued a notice to NAB on a petition filed by Ahad Cheema challenging his arrest in Ashiana-i-Iqbal housing scam.
The bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh heard the matter.
The counsel for petitioner Azam Nazir Tarar contended that all allegations levelled against his client were baseless. He submitted that the contract was awarded to Lahore Casa Developers in a transparent manner whereas his client acquired the 32 Kanal land legally and same was mentioned in his declaration of assets.
He said that in response to NAB notices, Ahad Cheema had asked the NAB authorities for providing details of documents required by them as well as a statement of allegations. However, the NAB authorities got offended by his client’s reply and arrested him on Feb 21, he submitted.
The counsel maintained that it was a politically motivated case and his client was unnecessarily arrested in this matter.
He pleaded with the court to declare arrest of Ahad Cheema illegal. The bench after hearing initial arguments issued notices to the NAB authorities seeking a reply till March 1.
AHAD CHEEMA’S ARREST:
Earlier on Tuesday, Ahad Cheema was arrested in relation to the Ashiana Housing Scheme corruption scandal.
The aim of the Ashiana housing scheme – an initiative of the Punjab government, was to provide economical and adequate residential facilities to the people with low-incomes and the government had invested Rs2 billion while acquiring 672 kanals of land in the Muloani Harlan area near Darbar Baba Noor Shah.
NAB has been conducting an inquiry into alleged misuse of resources and corruption against the officials of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), Lahore Casa Developers and Lahore Development Authority.
Cheema, former LDA DG was taken into custody by the anti-graft watchdog from the office of Punjab Power Company in Gulberg over corruption allegations regarding taking 32 Kanal land as a bribe and illegally allotting land for the housing scheme.
The arrest came after Cheema failed to appear before the bureau despite several notices.
An accountability court on Thursday handed him over to NAB on an 11-day physical remand after an officer from the anti-graft body submitted before the court that Ahad Cheema didn’t cooperate in the investigation and misused his authorities.
The court directed NAB to submit case challan in March.