Lahore, 20 May 2023 (GNP): On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was declared “innocent” in the Ashiana Scandal by National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which further said that the contract for the project had no indications of misconduct.
The accountability office reported that neither the national treasury nor PM Shehbaz received any financial gain from the scheme.
In its report, NAB stated: “It is proved beyond any doubt that the treasury didn’t suffer any loss.”
“No evidence of misuse of powers was found against Shahbaz Sharif,” it further added.
The NAB assessment found no evidence of malice against the prime minister in the Ashiana scandal, which is expected to cause controversy over the watchdog’s objectivity.
The report additionally claimed that Kamran Kayani, brother of former army chief General (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, didn’t harm the government’s finances in any way.
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The investigation also revealed that Fawad Hasan Fawad, who at the time served as Shehbaz’s secretary for implementation in Punjab, did not accept a bribe in exchange for the contract.
The report further stated that PM Shehbaz had, in accordance with the law, forwarded the Ashiana case to the anti-corruption body.
“The accountability court should decide on Shehbaz Sharif’s plea for acquittal according to the law,” concluded the report.
What is the Ashiana Housing scandal?
The Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme Scandal, which surfaced in 2011, involved claims of deviations and delays in balloting and unit allotments.
During the investigation, it was claimed that PM Shahbaz Sharif had improperly seized control of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) while serving as Punjab’s chief minister.
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In accordance with the findings of the inquiry, contracts given to M/s Ch. A Latif and Sons were wrongfully canceled and given to Lahore Casa Developers (LCD), a substitute for Paragon City Private Limited.
The NAB has conducted a comprehensive inquiry and found no proof of PM Shahbaz Sharif’s misconduct.
During the 2018 investigation, all three of the major suspects were detained and then freed.
Shahbaz Sharif’s permanent exemption from the reference hearing was granted by the accountability court in September of the previous year, further demonstrating his innocence in the Ashiana Housing Scandal.
