LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday summoned Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq to explain whether he had any connection with Paragon City/Developer, one of the partners in LDA-City housing scheme, and an under-construction project of twin tower in Islamabad.

The chief justice also summoned the investigating officer of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seized with the inquiry against the LDA-City, a project the Lahore Development Authority launched under the public-private partnership.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court was hearing a suo motu notice taken by the chief justice against the alleged corruption committed in the housing project.

Earlier LDA Director General Zahid Akhtar Zaman presented a detailed report before the bench on the rules of the authority which allowed it to enter into a contract with private companies for the acquisition of land. He also submitted record of the six companies engaged by the LDA for the project and names of their owners/shareholders.

The companies include Millennium Land Developers, Urban Developers, Paragon City, Alfa Estate, Pak Estate and Maymar Housing Service.

CJP Nisar showed curiosity to know the names of Paragon City’s shareholders as he observed that there had been a common impression in public that PML-N’s stalwart Khwaja Saad Rafiq owned the housing society. However, his name was not found in the record presented by the LDA director general.

At this, the chief justice sought personal appearance of Mr Rafiq in the court on March 10 to explain whether this impression was correct. He also summoned the investigating officer of the NAB to assist the court on the matter.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2018