LHC rejects Khawaja brothers’ bail petition in Paragon housing scam

LHC rejects Khawaja brothers’ bail petition in Paragon housing scam

Lahore (Staff Report): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday rejected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique’s petition, seeking bail in Paragon housing scam.

A two-member bench of the court headed by Justice Baqir Ali Najfi heard the petitions seeking bail for Khawaja brothers in Paragon Housing scam case.

The petitioner stated in their bail pleas that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) nominated them in the case without having any concrete evidence against them.

They said they had extended full cooperation to the accountability watchdog during investigation and provided all documents to prove that they had no link to the Paragon City Society.

On December 11, 2018, the NAB arrested Pakistan Railways former minister and his brother Salman Rafique after the LHC turned down their plea seeking extension in interim bail in a case regarding Paragon Housing Society scandal.

NAB Lahore had issued a press release after the arrest stating that “accused Saad Rafique along with his benamidaar wife Ghazala Saad Rafique, brother Salman Rafique in association with Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia established a housing project in the name of Air Avenue which was converted into a new housing project namely M/S Paragon City Pvt Limited. Record shows that M/S Paragon City is an illegal society.”

“Accused has been and is continuously obtaining illegal/ illegitimate funds/ benefits from said project as he obtained 40 kanal plots in his own name and the name of his brother Salman Rafique,” the bureau said.