ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Thursday declared Kamran Kayani, brother of former army chief retired Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Paragon City Housing Society’s director Nadeem Zia and Khalid Hussain as proclaimed offenders in a case pertaining to the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam.
Accountability Court Judge Syed Najamul Hassan conducted the case proceedings, wherein bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad and other accused were produced.
At the outset of the proceedings, a reply was submitted on behalf of Superintendent Kot Lakhpat Jail, wherein it was stated that PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif was lodged in a sub-jail in Islamabad and a medical board had advised him bed rest.
The court ordered to produce Shehbaz before the court on next hearing. To which, Sharif’s counsel Amjad Pervez submitted that if medical board permits then he has no objection in producing Sharif before the court.
However, NAB Prosecutor Waris Janjua argued that the matter was being delayed as the same ‘reasons’ were used during the last hearing.
At this stage, a police inspector told the court that raids were conducted to arrest Kamran Kayani, Khalid Hussain, and Nadeem Zia after issuance of their arrest warrants during the last hearing, but their houses were locked.
Upon this, the NAB prosecutor pleaded with the court to issue directions for initiating the process of declaring the accused as proclaimed offenders.
The court, after hearing arguments of all parties, ordered for initiating the process of declaring Kayani, Hussain, and Zia as proclaimed offenders.
Furthermore, the court directed for publication of notices in newspapers, ordering the accused to appear in the court till February 11.
The court also ordered for producing Sharif on the next date of hearing, while adjourning the matter till January 24.
If the said accused fail to appear in the court despite the publication of notices in newspapers, it would result in seizure of their properties and issuance of further warrants.