NAB arrests Fawad Hassan Fawad in Aashiana Scandal

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore on Thursday arrested former principal secretary to prime minister, Fawad Hassan Fawad, over alleged corruption in Aashiana Housing scheme.

According to NAB Lahore spokesperson, Fawad misused his authority as Secretary Implementation to Punjab Chief Minister when he passed unlawful directions to the Chief Executive Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) to suspend the contract of Aashiana Iqbal project.

The NAB official said the accused got cancelled the officially granted contract to Chaudhry Latif & Sons through his orders.

He also kept the Inquiry Committee Report, headed by Secretary Finance Tariq Bajwa, hidden from the authorities with mala fide intensions.

As per the inquiry committee findings, Chaudhry Latif & Sons company was awarded the contract lawfully and in accordance with the PEPRA rules.

The spokesperson said that Chaudhry Latif & Sons had deposited Rs 70 million as mobilisation advance, while the project had been officially launched at the time of illegal suspension of the contract.

He said the illegal act of the accused Fawad Hassan Fawad caused undue delay in the project, which increased the cost of the project by billions of rupees.

The spokesperson said the accused, as Secretary Health Punjab, is alleged to have purchased six mobile health units beyond the market price.

The accused purchased six mobile health units while the price of one unit was 55 million rupees.

Fawad Hassan Fawad remained unlawfully employed with the Bank Alfalah from September 2005 to July 2006 despite the fact that Secretary Establishment had rejected his request for double job.

The accused remained appointed to the Sprint Energy, a subsidiary of the JS Group, and was involved in preparing and presenting fake No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for transfer of the site of CNG pumps from one district to another.

The NAB spokesperson said the illegal acts of the accused caused billions of rupees of losses to the national exchequer.

NAB would present Fawad Hassan Fawad before an accountability court to seek his physical remand on Friday (July 6).