The Accountability Court hearing the Narowal Sports City Complex Project (NSCCP) scam against the former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, on Friday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a reference with respect to this case within one month.

The Accountability Court judge Muhammad Bashir, while hearing the case asked the NAB to file reference against Iqbal within a month.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Abbasi, appeared before the court.

During the hearing, the NAB official produced the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)'s record and charge sheet related to the case.

The judge asked that did this charge sheet include the name of Iqbal?

At this, the NAB prosecutor, Sohail Arif, told the court that the charge sheet of the FIA did not include Iqbal's name.

Iqbal's name was included in it after an inquiry in the NSCCP scam was launched, he said.

The court marked Iqbal's attendance and adjourned the case till March 26th.

Iqbal left the court for appearing before the NAB investigators.

Iqbal said that he had received a notice from the NAB to appear before it on March 27th.

The defence counsel, while objecting to marking of Iqbal's attendance, said that how could attendance of his client be marked in this case.

"Iqbal's attendance could not be marked until filling of reference," he said.

The NAB prosecutor, Arif, said that the NAB had nominated Iqbal in this case. The court asked the NAB prosecutor when the bureau would file the reference.

The court directed the NAB to file a reference within a month.

During the hearing, Iqbal came to rostrum and said that he was being punished for doing good work.

He said that the Sports Complex had been ruined in the last 18 months.

Iqbal said that construction work on NSCCP stopped following the direction of the prime minister.

He demanded filing of a reference against those who had ruined the complex.

"Our attendance is being marked, while mafias are running free," the former minister said.

The judge told Iqbal that what you want to say submit it before the court in writing through your lawyer.

Iqbal, while talking to reporters after appearing before court, said that the mala fide of the government and the NAB could be judged from the fact that they transferred an inquiry from Gujranwala in which he was neither accused nor wanted but he was implicated.

It indicates that the government wants to pressurize opposition, he said.

Iqbal said that the NAB was also harassing his brother who was neither a public office holder nor a government employee.

The NAB has summoned his brother who is a sub-contractor of the metro bus project, he said.

"I challenge the NAB to find an increase of a single penny in my assets after 1993," Iqbal said.

According a press release issued by the NAB, Ahsan Iqbal came to the NAB Rawalpindi to surrender his passport on the direction of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The impression being given that the NAB has summoned him is not correct.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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