The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore on Monday filed a second corruption reference against Fawad Hasan Fawad, former principal secretary to the ex-prime minister, Nawaz Sharif.

The latest reference against Fawad pertains to alleged accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income, according to a press release issued by the bureau's Lahore chapter.

In the reference, it is alleged that Fawad amassed Rs1.09 billion worth of illegal assets, including a five kanal commercial plot in Rawalpindi's Saddar area valued at around Rs50 million.

NAB Lahore, in the reference, alleges that Fawad is also a shareholder in a 15-storey commercial plaza located in the same area and valued at around Rs3.085bn.

The corruption watchdog says that the inquiry against Fawad was converted into an investigation on Oct 12, 2018.

On March 15 of this month, NAB Chairman Javed Iqbal had given his approval, following which the reference has been filed against Fawad.

According to Director General (DG) NAB Lahore Shahzad Saleem, the NAB chairman is scrupulously following the bureau's adopted policy of "across-the-board accountability".

"We will keep on taking principled action in all corruption cases on the basis of merit and merit only," the DG NAB Lahore said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Fawad, the former principal secretary to incarcerated ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, is already battling a NAB reference in the Rs14 billion Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing scam. He is one of the co-accused in the case alongside former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.

According to NAB, Fawad, while serving as implementation secretary to the Punjab chief minister in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing project, had misused his authority.

The bureau had arrested Fawad in July 2018 after reportedly detecting properties worth billions of rupees. Days later, NAB had raided his residence in GOR-I and seized crucial documents and electronic devices.

In Dec 2018, NAB had filed supplementary cases against Fawad and others, including Shahbaz.