LAHORE: Getting their statements recorded before an Accountability Court in a reference against Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif and others, prosecution witnesses on Saturday rejected the allegations of corruption and illegality in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme.

The court adjourned further hearing till March 25 for the cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses.

Earlier, the NAB prosecutor presented the witnesses including Deputy Commissioner Layyah, Khalid Pervez, design specialist Hussain Ahmad, research analyst of LDA Shahid Kamran and Mahmood Ahmad Sulheri.

Khalid Pervez said he was posted as director of the LDA from 2013 to 2015 and signed the implementation agreement of the housing scheme in question. He said no illegality had been committed in the execution of the project.

Mahmood Sulheri said Nespak had appointed him as a member to a committee formed by the LDA. He said the committee sent the bid evaluation of the project to a steering committee.

Previously, former chief engineer of the LDA Israr Saeed, who was an approver of the NAB also resiled from his earlier statement.

He claimed that then NAB Lahore officials had threatened him to record a false statement against Shehbaz Sharif.

The NAB alleged that PM 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.

LDA’s former Director General, Ahad Khan Cheema and former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad are also accused in the reference.

Kamran Kiyani, a brother of former army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani, and Nadeem Zia, one of the owners of Paragon City, are also accused in the reference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023