LAHORE: An accountability court on Wednesday summoned the deputy inspector general (DIG) of police’s operations wing on a complaint of former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq about his “mistreatment” outside the courtroom and restriction on entry of media persons and lawyers by the police.

During the hearing of Paragon City case, Mr Saad told Presiding Judge Jawadul Hassan that the police personnel mistreated him on his way to the court and used megaphones to frustrate his talk with journalists. He said the police also restricted the media persons and lawyers from entering the courtroom and misbehaved with political workers.

He said the undue conduct of the police caused clashes and upheaval on each date of the case hearing.

The judge expressed dismay over the situation and directed the operations DIG to appear on the next hearing with an explanation of the events narrated by the PML-N leader.

Earlier, the judge recorded statements of two prosecution witnesses and directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to present more witnesses on the next hearing. The NAB also submitted a copy of the confessional statement of former MPA Qaiser Amin Butt, an approver in the case.

The judge adjourned further hearing till Nov 21.

The jail officials also brought former provincial minister Khwaja Salman Rafiq for the trial proceedings.

The NAB accused the Khwaja brothers of wrongfully receiving Rs18.2 million approximately from M/s Paragon City management in their bank accounts. It said the Khwaja brothers through their “benamidars” and with the abatement of former MPA Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia established a housing project in the name of Air Avenue.

It said the suspects along with other accomplices cheated the public at large and obtained illegal financial benefits from the funds of the illegal society.

REMAND EXTENDED: An accountability court on Wednesday extended judicial remand of the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz in illegal assets/money laundering case.

A NAB prosecutor told the court that reference would be filed soon after final approval by the chairman.

At this, the court adjourned hearing till Nov 28 and also extended judicial remand of Mr Hamza.

In a brief conversation with the media, Hamza lamented that the government was doing politics on the critical health condition of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

He said the masses were cursing the government for making their lives miserable. He said soon the people would get rid of the “incapable” government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Outside the court, lawyers and PML-N workers scuffled with the police personnel for denying them entry into the court.

A policeman was shifted to hospital after the jail vehicle carrying Hamza ran over his feet.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2019