Pakistan

Ashiana Housing case: court acquits Shehbaz Sharif

  • Court accepts acquittal plea of the former PM and other suspects
Published November 18, 2023

A Lahore accountability court acquitted on Saturday former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme reference, Aaj News reported.

During the hearing today, the court accepted the application for acquittal filed by 10 suspects, including Shehbaz, Fawad Hassan Fawad, and Ahad Cheema. All have been acquitted.

An inquiry conducted in 2018 claimed that Shehbaz, then chief minister of Punjab, had unlawfully assumed powers of the Board of Directors of LDC and misused his authority, and acted in connivance with Fawad and others.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had alleged that Shehbaz and other accused persons caused a huge loss to the national exchequer by awarding the contract of the housing scheme to a company without bidding.

On May 20, NAB declared on Shehbaz "innocent" in the Ashiana Housing case.

In its report, NAB said that no concrete evidence of corruption or misuse of authority was found during their investigation. The bureau said that inquiry was conducted twice, and no evidence was discovered to support claims of any wrongdoing.

It also said no evidence was found of illegal use of powers against PM Shehbaz

Comments

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KU Nov 18, 2023 03:26pm
George Orwell, we miss you like never before!
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Johnny Walker Nov 18, 2023 03:32pm
This charade of courts and NAB is not news anymore. Everyone knows they are all going to be acquitted. Money & power go hand in hand especially with boots backing.
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Parvez Nov 18, 2023 05:07pm
Does that make him innocent ?
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Power Nov 18, 2023 06:32pm
This Punjabi internal affair Let Punjabi plunder Punjab but spare other provinces Bribe is route to success
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zh Nov 18, 2023 11:48pm
There is no surprise here; the judge upheld tradition. Pakistan's justice system is flexible and bends with the wind.
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zh Nov 18, 2023 11:52pm
@Parvez, Not in the eyes of the masses. But what counts is the establishment, which rumps the majority every time.
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