Ashiana housing case: Shehbaz Sharif records statement with NAB

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif recorded his statement at the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) regional office on Monday in an inquiry related to the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme, sources informed Geo News on Monday.

Sources said Shehbaz recorded his statement for an hour-and-a-half.

Earlier, the Punjab chief minister arrived at NAB's Lahore office without official protocol. He been summoned at 10am but arrived much later. 

On January 17, NAB Lahore had issued a notification stating that it has been conducting an inquiry against management/officials of Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), Lahore Casa Developers, Lahore Development Authority and others.

The letter read that the prima facie, Shehbaz Sharif, being the Punjab chief minister, ordered "cancellation of award of contract of Ashiana-e-Iqbal to successful bidder Ch Latif and Sons, leading to award of contract to Lahore Casa Developers (JV), a proxy of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which resulted in the loss of Rs193 million approximately."

Shehbaz vows to ‘expose’ NAB

On Sunday, Shehbaz had shared that NAB has summoned him and he will bring the real face of the bureau before the media with evidence.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Bab-e-Pakistan project on Lahore’s Walton Road, he said NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal was expressing his love for him by sending him notices, but he would bring the facts before the public.

“I will apologise to the nation and leave politics if corruption of even a single penny is proved against me. But if it is not proved, you have to decide about the accusers.”

He said billions of rupees had been plundered in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL), Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), rental power plants, Nandipur and Chichuki Malian, but there was no one to hold them accountable.

The CM said NAB failed to recover looted money from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari.

“But we won’t spare him and bring back the looted money from (Zardari’s) Swiss bank (accounts), or from any other part of the world.” He said every single person of the country was well aware of the corruption committed by Zardari in the country.