Ahad Cheema arrested after fulfilling legal requirements, LHC told
Shares
LAHORE:The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) that former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Ahad Cheema was arrested after fulfilling all legal requirements.
A NAB prosecutor made this statement before a division bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, who was hearing a
petition filed by Ahad Cheema against his arrest in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing scam.
The prosecutor submitted that the bureau launched the inquiry into the matter after receiving complaints in that
regard. He said that former DG was summoned in person, but he neither filed a reply nor appeared before the NAB combined investigation team.
He said that Ahad Cheema was in the custody of NAB on physical remand and he would be produced on March 5 before the accountability court. He contended that the petition was not maintainable and requested the bench for its dismissal.
However, the bench adjourned further hearing till March 7 after it was informed that petitioner's counsel could not
appear due to his engagements in the Supreme Court.
Ahad Cheema had submitted that the NAB authorities had arrested him on charges of corruption in Ashiana-i-Iqbal
housing project. He said that it was alleged that he misused his authority as LDA's head and awarded a Rs14 billion
contract of Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme to Lahore Casa Developers, a joint venture, which was ineligible for the
purpose. He said that the authorities also alleged him of receiving illegal gratification in the form of 32-kanal land
from one of the shareholder companies of the said joint venture.
He said that all allegations levelled against him were baseless. He submitted that the contract was awarded to Lahore
Casa Developers in a transparent manner, whereas 32-kanal land was acquired legally and the same was mentioned in his declaration of assets.
Cheema said that in response to NAB notices, he had asked the authorities for providing details of documents required by them as well as statement of allegations. However, the NAB authorities got offended from his reply and arrested him on Feb 21, he submitted. He submitted that it was a politically motivated case and he was unnecessarily arrested in this matter.
He pleaded with the court to declare his arrest illegal.APP/AFP
