ISLAMABAD: The Accoun­t­ability Court of Islamabad on Monday handed over the custody of former director general of parks and horticulture, Karachi Metro­politan Corporation (KMC), Liaquat Qaimkhani, to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for his 14-day remand in connection with alleged corruption in the Bagh Ibne Qasim case.

Accountability judge Mohammad Bashir accepted NAB’s request of 14-day remand as the bureau’s investigation team requested the custody of the suspect to interrogate him in the case to ascertain sources of his movable and immovable assets.

Earlier, the Rawalpindi NAB directorate arrested Mr Qaimkhani and obtained his transit remand from the Accountability Court of Karachi to shift him to Islamabad.

The bureau seized eight luxury vehicles, arms, property files, jewellery and official record of the KMC from Mr Qaimkhani’s custody.

For more than a year, NAB had been investigating the illegal allotment of amenity land of Bagh Ibne Qasim and unlawful amalgamation with two plots of KDA.

Mr Qaimkhani denied allegations of corruption and corrupt practices levelled against him. He even said he was ready to be hanged if allegations of corruption levelled against him were proved to be true.

He also denied making any allotment or signing any document in this regard.

The court accepted Mr Qaimkhani’s request for a meeting with his brothers and the provision of home-made food while being in NAB’s custody.

NAB investigation officer told the court that during the raid, the NAB team found a huge amount of money and jewellery. He said the bureau also seized the satellite image of Bagh Ibne Qasim and prima facie a piece of park was deliberately left un-attended in 2005 for the purpose of its illegal allotment.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2019