KARACHI, March 21: An investigation officer of the National Accountability Bureau sought time on Monday from the administrative judge of the accountability courts for filing reference against Begum Salma Ahmed, a former member of the National Assembly, who was arrested on March 7 on corruption charges.

Judge Mrs Qaiser Iqbal, who had earlier remanded the businesswoman to NAB custody for investigation till March 21, ordered the NAB investigator to file the reference on April 4.

Begum Salma Ahmed, chief of the Pakistan Association of Woman Entrepreneurs (PAWE), was not produced in the court as she had been bed-ridden at a hospital due to her cardiac disease.

It was alleged that an amenity plot of 603sq-yards at Clifton was allotted to the PAWE for the construction of a complex in 1994. Begum Salma Ahmed allegedly proposed to the then commerce minister for setting up a fashion design technology centre for women in Karachi. The initial estimate for the project was Rs6 million, which was altered and increased to Rs13.3 million in the feasibility report.

The project was approved by the board of administrators of Export Development Fund. Begum Ahmed and EPB entered into an agreement on May 16, 1994. However, in violation of the agreement she allegedly withdrew the entire amount from the bank and did not utilize the same on the women complex.