Why Fawad Hasan Fawad has been arrested?
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LAHORE - The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested one of the country's senior-most bureaucrats, Fawad Hassan Fawad, in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case, according to sources.
However, NAB officials said the top civil servant has not been arrested and his questioning is still under way. A bureau spokesperson said the NAB chairman will make a decision on Fawad's arrest.
Fawad had been summoned by NAB today for questioning in the housing scheme scam. He has appeared at least thrice before as part of NAB's investigation.
Fawad served as former PM Nawaz Sharif's principal secretary and is considered close to the former premier.
Fawad was removed from the post of principal secretary on June 1 this year and appointed director general of Civil Services Academy, Lahore.
Fawad is wanted for his alleged role in illegally awarding the contract for Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme of the Punjab government.
Fawad is also being probed by NAB for possession of assets beyond known sources of income as well as for alleged illegal award of CNG contracts.
According to NAB, the contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons.
However, NAB says then Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his aides awarded the contract to Lahore Casa Developers — a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is said to be owned by Railways Minister Saad Rafique.
Fawad, who was implementation secretary to the chief minister Punjab at the time, levelled charges of wrongdoings against Chaudhry Latif and Sons in order for the contract to be awarded to Casa Developers.
Shehbaz has already appeared before NAB in the case while former Lahore Development Authority chairman Ahad Cheema is on judicial remand after having been arrested over the case.
