- PML-N workers clash with police ahead of Shehbaz’s arrival
- PML-N president says ‘Kulbhushan Jadhav was allowed to meet family but I’m not’
LAHORE: The accountability court on Monday extended Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s physical remand for 10 days in the Ashiana Housing Scheme scam.
Shehbaz was produced before the accountability court ahead of the expiry of his remand, which is set to expire on October 30. However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) decided to push back the date owing to a public holiday in connection with annual urs of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh.
As the hearing went underway in the accountability court, Shehbaz presented his arguments in the presence of his counsels Amjad Pervaiz and Azam Nazir Tarar.
“I have been implicated in false cases,” Shehbaz told the accountability court, adding that “NAB officials have been blackmailing me”.
He further said that despite battling with blood cancer, the NAB officials have “not allowed” him to get his check-ups done.
“I was on my deathbed but God is great and gave me health,” Shehbaz added.
He further said that despite repeated requests to get his blood tests conducted he was not allowed to do so.
“Last week, I requested officials to get my blood test conducted and despite repeated reminders, I was told the higher-ups have been informed and when the orders are received, I will be informed.”
The PML-N chief also recalled being arrested by NAB Lahore when he was summoned to record his statement before a combined investigation team in connection with the Punjab Saaf Pani Company case. “It has been 25 days since I was arrested.”
“I am required to regularly get my check-ups,” he said, adding that “I am not even allowed to meet my family”.
“Indian spy Kulbushan Yadhav was allowed to meet his family but I am not permitted to meet mine even once a week. Such restrictions are not imposed even during martial law,” he asserted.
The PML-N president further shared, “I have been blessed with a grandson and am thankful to God for it.”
At this, the NAB prosecutor expressed reservations, however, Shehbaz said, “I am a human and a Pakistani. Let people express their views.”
Stating that he “served the province”, Shehbaz upheld, “If this is a crime then I will continue doing it. God’s court is the biggest.”
“I have rights which I am not being granted. I am being tortured but God willing this too shall pass,” he added.
Reading out a verse, Shehbaz said, “Ye kaun bol rahā thā ḳhudā ke lahje meñ.”
Meanwhile, Shehbaz’s counsels expressed reservations over the heavy deployment of police at the court premises. “A curfew was imposed outside the court and even we were not being granted permission to enter the court premises,” the counsels said.
NAB prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua, after submitting a report of the investigation so far, told the court that NAB has prepared a feasibility report that had strengthened its case. He claimed that the feasibility report prepared for the housing scheme by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) was based on “falsehood”. He said that the national exchequer had suffered a loss of millions of rupees due to Sharif’s “illegal steps”.
The accountability court judge then directed Shehbaz “to speak freely”.
To this, Shehbaz said, “I revealed the Kamran Kayani secret in the National Assembly and will speak in court with evidence.”
Presenting the minutes of the first meeting for the bidding of the contract, Shehbaz said, “The inquiry is from December 2013 to October 2014 and I’m reading out minutes from February 27, 2014.”
The PML-N president continued, “Even last time I said that I did not cancel the first bid, in December 2014 a second bid was conducted which was held by PLDC. I cancelled Kamran Kayani’s contract. We received 50 bids and I supported and praised Allahuddin.”
Further, he said, “During the last remand hearing, NAB had also spoken of the second bid but then they distorted facts and misinformed the court.”
Presenting documents regarding Punjab Public Partnership, Shehbaz said, “In the last 25 days I have cleared all allegations regarding Ashiana Housing and Saaf Pani Case.”
The NAB prosecutor responded, “Shehbaz Sharif is misstating facts, he served as Punjab chief minister twice.”
However, Shehbaz said the NAB prosecutor was “wrong” and added, “I was Punjab chief minister thrice.”
The NAB prosecutor then requested a 15-day extension in Shehbaz’s physical remand. The prosecutor further requested that the court approved Shehbaz’s transit remand as his production orders have been issued to attend the National Assembly session scheduled at 4pm on Monday.
However, Shehbaz’s counsel opposed to NAB’s request for an extension in his physical remand.
The court then reserved its decision but later extended Shehbaz’s remand by 10 days. Granting a three-day transit remand, the court adjourned the hearing till November 7.
Moreover, NAB also issued a notification declaring the Minister’s Enclave residence of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif a sub-jail.
Meanwhile, PML-N leaders including Marriyyum Aurangzeb staged a protest outside the accountability court while Hamza Shehbaz was present inside the courtroom with his father.
Strict security measures were taken prior to Sharif’s arrival in court. Containers were placed to block the road leading to the building and all routes to the court were blocked as well. Police contingents were deployed along the route and outside the court building. 
ARREST:
Shehbaz was arrested on October 5 after appearing before the NAB team in Saaf Paani Company scheme. NAB said Shehbaz failed to satisfy the investigation team regarding a tender awarded to a private consultancy firm and was therefore arrested.
The anti-graft watchdog said the firm did not conduct any kind of survey but was provided with a lucrative sum of Rs1.5 billion. It added that Fawad Hassan Fawad, the principal secretary to former premier Nawaz Sharif, had become an approver in the case.
Fawad, in his statement, had claimed that he had awarded a contract to a “favourite firm” in the Rs14 billion Ashiana Housing project at the behest of Shehbaz Sharif.
The anti-graft agency said that the contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons but Sharif cancelled it and later on awarded the contract to Lahore Casa Developers – a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is said to be owned by former Railways minister Saad Rafique.
PICTURE COURTESY: ZUBAIR MAHFOOZ