Court extends Khawaja brothers' physical remand till Jan 5

Court extends Khawaja brothers' physical remand till Jan 5

Lahore (Staff Report): An accountability court on Saturday extended physical remand of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique till January 5.

The National Accountability (NAB) officials presented Khawaja Saad and Salman in the court and sought an extension of 15 days in their physical remand.

Khawaja Saad Rafique was shifted to Lahore from Islamabad where he was on transit remand to attend the session of the National Assembly.

On December 11, NAB arrested Pakistan Railways former minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique after the Lahore High Court (LHC) turned down their plea seeking extension in interim bail in a case regarding Paragon Housing Society scandal.

NAB Lahore had issued a press release after the arrest stating that “accused Saad Rafique along with his benamidaar wife Ghazala Saad Rafique, brother Salman Rafique in association with Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia established a housing project in the name of Air Avenue which was converted into a new housing project namely M/S Paragon City Pvt Limited. Record shows that M/S Paragon City is an illegal society.”

“Accused has been and is continuously obtaining illegal/ illegitimate funds/ benefits from said project as he obtained 40 kanal plots in his own name and the name of his brother Salman Rafique,” the bureau said.

On December 20, Khawaja Saad Rifique was shifted to Islamabad after Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser issued production order of the PML-N leader to attend the NA session.

On Friday, while speaking in the National Assembly, Saad Rafique said that the NAB law had been used to victimise political opponents since its formation.