LAHORE:Prime minister’s secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad did not appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore on Thursday to record his statement in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing scam.

Official sources said Mr Fawad informed NAB about his inability to join the investigation on Thursday as he was busy in official work. He might appear before its combined investigation team (CIT) at its Lahore office today (Friday), they said.

Fawad was the implementation secretary to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in 2013 when he allegedly pressurised the PLDC chief executive officer (CEO) to cancel the contract of M/S Latif and Sons and award it to other firm. He was reportedly called for being privy to certain facts of the case and needed to be confronted with the statements of other witnesses.

The CIT has also summoned former LDA director general Ahad Khan Cheema today in the same case with ‘detailed statement regarding award of the Ashiana-i-Iqbal project which was entrusted to him by the chief minister and purchase of 32 kanals at Mouza Tedha, Cantt, Lahore.

The bureau had initiated the probe some three months ago after receiving a number of complaints regarding ‘illegal deal’ involving 3,000 kanal land between the PLDC and the companies.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2018