ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday issued warrants for the arrest of former Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman Farkhand Iqbal over his repeated absence in a reference pertaining to the allotment of plots.

In November last year, NAB had filed a reference against the former CDA head and other senior officials over illegal allotment of plots in G-6, Islamabad.

When the court resumed proceeding on the reference, Mr Iqbal’s counsel advocate Abdul Rahman submitted an application seeking exemption from personal attendance of his client.

However, accountability judge Syed Asghar Ali expressed displeasure saying the accused was deliberately avoiding attendance and seeking exemption on each and every date. He dismissed the exemption plea and directed NAB to produce him on July 5.

Judge Ali also issued arrest warrants for another accused, Latif Abid. Further proceeding in the matter was adjourned till July 5.

The reference alleged that Mr Iqbal, former member CDA board Abdul Aziz Qureshi, director general Ghulam Sarwar Sandhu, former director Mehboob Ali Khan and Waqar Ali Khan caused a loss of Rs71 million to the national exchequer.

As many as 11 people have been accused of allotting plots in violation of rules and procedures.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2021