LDA official submits Ashiana Housing Scheme records before NAB

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LAHORE: Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Chief Engineer Israr Saeed submitted financial records related to the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday.

According to reports, NAB is reviewing all the provided documents and if required can again summon LDA authorities.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared before NAB on January 22 in connection with the Ashiana Housing Scheme inquiry.

The bureau has been conducting an inquiry against the officials of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), Lahore Casa Developers, Lahore Development Authority and others, said a notification issued by NAB Lahore.

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.

Earlier, the bureau had asked for the complete details of both the Ashiana Housing Scheme and Paragon Housing Society for an investigation into the illegal housing schemes matter.

The accountability bureau’s decisions came following the complaints regarding an ‘illegal deal’ between the companies overlooking the affairs of the Paragon Housing Scheme and the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), which allegedly involved 3,000 kanals of government land.

It may be noted that the Paragon Housing Society is owned by Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, while the National Accountancy Bureau earlier had also summoned the details regarding the Park View Villas and River Edge housing scheme, owned by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader Aleem Khan.