LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has cleared Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme case after it found no evidence of financial corruption or misuse of authority.

Investigation officer Mohammad Ikram submitted a report in an accountability court on Saturday stating that the two offences against the prime minister have not been proved under the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

The report was filed in response to an application moved by the prime minister under Section 265-K of the CrPC seeking acquittal in the reference.

The section empowers a court to acquit an accused at any stage of the case if it felt that there was no probability of conviction.

According to the report, a fresh evaluation of the evidence was approved by the NAB chairman on the application of former head of Lahore Development Authority Ahad Khan Cheema, a co-accused, and after two proclaimed offenders (POs) Kamran Kiyani, brother of former army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani, and Nadeem Zia, the director of Paragon City, joined the investigation.

The report stated that after the scrutiny of the evidence, it transpired that the prime minister, during his stint as the Punjab chief minister, had referred the issue of the project’s contract to the Anti-Corruption Establishment as per the law.

In light of these facts, it couldn’t be established that the prime minister had embezzled government funds or misused his office. The evidence showed that the project was converted into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) venture by the then CM due to the incapacity of the Punjab Land Development Company and not to extend any favour to Paragon City.

The record and statements of prosecution witnesses established that under the PPP mode, no government funds were misappropriated or embezzled.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2023