Lahore (Staff Report): An accountability court on Thursday announced to indict Punjab’s former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and others accused in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scheme on February 18.
As the court resumed hearing in the case, Ahad Cheema and Fawad Hasan Fawad were present but, Shehbaz could not attend the hearing because of a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting in the federal capital.
DSP Aizaz Shah informed the court that Sharif was not well and also had a PAC meeting as the court inquired why Sharif was not present.
The court ordered for Shehbaz to be present at all cost during the next hearing, adding that an order beyond summons would be given if he failed to appear.
The judge informed Sharif’s counsel that his client would be indicted during the next hearing and there will be no excuses acceptable on his absence.
The hearing of the case was adjourned will February 18.
Last year, Shahbaz and his blue-eyed officers, Lahore Development Authority former director general Ahad Cheema and Fawad Hasan Fawad were arrested in the multi-billion rupees housing scam.
“The PLDC had assigned the low-cost housing scheme of the Punjab government to the LDA through an agreement in January 2015. Mr Cheema, being LDA DG, awarded contract of the project of Rs14bn ‘illegally’ to M/s Casa Developers, a joint venture of three firms M/s Bismillah Engineering Services Co, M/s SPARCO Construction Company and M/s China First Metallurgical Group Co Ltd. The contractor willfully failed to initiate Ashiana-i-Iqbal project over the past three years.”