The Lahore High Court Wednesday granted bail to LDA Chief Engineer Israr Saeed and Punjab Land Development Company Chief Engineer Colonel Arif Majeed (retd), co-accused of former LDA Director General Ahad Khan Cheema in Ashiyana Housing Scheme scam, and barred them from traveling abroad.
The court also directed both the accused to submit their passports with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Both, Israr Saeed and Arif Majeed had become approver.
Both the accused facing corruption charges were taken into custody by the NAB authorities soon after the arrest of Ahad Khan Cheema who is still on remand with the NAB.
The suspects contended through their counsel that they were dragged in the case only for complying with the official direction of Ahad Cheema, being Director General of the LDA. The petitioners asked the court to grant them bail as they were no more required by the NAB.
Ahad Khan Cheema was arrested last month over charges of misusing his authority and, with criminal intent, processing and awarding Ashiana-e-lqbal project contract in connivance with other accused persons in violation of PPP Act, 2014.
The NAB inquiry further revealed that Bismillah Engineering Services Co (a major shareholder of JV titled Lahore CASA Developers) was a proxy firm working on behalf of Paragon City (Pvt.) Ltd. Cheema allegedly received illegal gratification in the form of 32 kanals of land from the owners of Paragon City (Pvt.) Ltd.
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