The Accountability Court on Monday extended physical remand of senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal Sport City Complex Project (NSCCP) scam till January 13.
The NAB officials produced Iqbal before Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir on expiry of his 13-day physical remand. The NAB requested the court to extend remand of the accused to conduct further investigation from him regarding the case. The anti-graft body arrested Iqbal on December 23 after he allegedly failed to satisfy NAB officials during investigations with respect to NSCCP case.
During the hearing, NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzzafar Abbasi told the court that the bureau has collected concrete evidence with respect to NSCCP corruption reference filed against Iqbal. He said that media has widely highlighted amendment to the NAB Ordinance 1999 and its impact on ongoing cases. Discussion regarding amendments to the NAB Ordinance is continued in media; therefore, he wanted to inform the court about the fate of ongoing cases following amendment to the NAB Ordinance.
The prosecutor said if the accused had reservations over the amendment, he wanted to first argue with respect to the amendment.
On this the judge inquired why NAB required further extension in remand of accused. Replying to the judge, the prosecutor said that he wanted to brief the court about progress in investigation of case as well as reasons of request of extension in remand.
Abbasi said that investigators have collected multiple evidences against Iqbal. The cost of NSCCP project had been escalated by 180 percent, he said, adding a huge amount had been spent over a district level ground (NSCCP).
The NAB prosecutor said that rules and regulations had been violated during the approval of the project. The summary of the project had not been approved from the relevant forum, he said.
He said that Iqbal had misused his authority after assuming charge of minister of planning and development. The accused had asked his ministry to include NSCCP project in Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), he said. As per the fact, the same project was transferred to the government of Punjab in the year 2012. After the 18th Amendment, it was illegal to keep Rs 200 million from the federal budget for the project, he said. He said that NAB is also investigating assets of Iqbal. The NAB needs extension in Iqbal's remand for further investigation, he said. Abbasi said that influential accused did not cooperate with NAB if it does not arrest them. He said that the government departments due to fear of influential accused do not provide record to the NAB.
He said that NAB wants to look into the assets of Iqbal as per the amendment to the NAB Ordinance. The NAB will not only investigate assets of Iqbal but also probe his whole family's assets, he said, adding that NAB is collecting details about Iqbal and his dependents. He said that NAB has received huge record about assets of Iqbal.
The NAB prosecutor said that NAB has to summon more people in this case. He said that the accused had been shifted to Lahore for checkup. "The shifting of accused to Lahore for checkup also created hurdles in investigation," he added.
Barrister Zafarullah Khan, counsel of Iqbal, while objecting to the NAB's request said that NAB is only writing letters for acquiring record for the last one year. "The prosecutor has mentioned same grounds for extension of remand what he told the court during the previous hearing," he said.
"Today NAB has started arguments about kickbacks and assets of his client," he said, adding that this case has nothing but a political revenge.
He said that his client has recorded his statement before NAB but so far NAB neither did conduct any investigation nor did recover anything. "Will the amended NAB Ordinance apply to the same case?" he asked. He said that the NAB (Amendment) Ordinance will not apply on this case. "I do not want to take advantage of amended NAB Ordinance," Iqbal said, adding let those people benefit for those the same amendment has been brought in.
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