LAHORE: An accountability court on Saturday extended physical remand of former principal secretary to prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad for another 14 days in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam.

The officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) produced Mr Fawad before the court and sought his further remand for 15 days.

However, the court allowed 14-day physical remand of the bureaucrat and also issued notices to the NAB on applications moved by Fawad for the constitution of a medical board and release of the withheld salaries.

The NAB accused Fawad of misusing authority being secretary implementation of former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and violated procurement rules by awarding contract of the housing scheme to a company of his choice. It said initially Rs1.5 billion contract was given to successful bidder – M/s Chaudhry Latif and Sons.

The bureau said Fawad cancelled the contract and awarded the same to M/s Lahore Casa Developers on an inflated price of Rs4bn. It said the government had to pay Rs6 million as fine to the successful bidder.

In this case, the NAB had also arrested former chairman of the Lahore Development Authority Ahad Khan Cheema. He is now in jail on judicial remand.

The other day, the NAB produced Fawad before an appellate court of Gilgit-Baltistan for his involvement in a corruption case.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2018