ISLAMABAD: The accountability court (AC) on Tuesday indicted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secretary general Ahsan Iqbal and others in the Narowal Sports City Complex Project (NSCCP) scam. The AC-III judge Syed Asghar Ali, hearing the case, framed charges against Ahsan Iqbal while former Pakistan Sports Board director general Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera, Sarfraz Rasool, Ministry of Planning officer Asif Sheikh, and a private contractor named Muhammad Ahmed were also charged for their involvement in the case.
The PML-N leader Iqbal and other accused pleaded not guilty. During the hearing, Iqbal, while objecting to his indictment, said the judge did not even listen to the prosecution, adding that the court had to make sure whether the case was valid or not.
At this, the judge said that the court was not here to listen to such remarks, and that Ahsan Iqbal should file a petition or speak through his counsel. The court directed the NAB to provide copies of reference to all the accused and adjourned hearing till January 12. The court also summoned prosecution witnesses during the next hearing for recording of their statement.
The PML-N leader, while talking to the media outside the accountability court, said the main objectives of such false cases were to discredit, pressurise and hurt the opposition. He demanded of the chief justice to issue directives to broadcast the proceedings of political cases live on TV, so that the public should know how many pawns Imran Khan Niazi's accountability.
Iqbal said the government was wasting state resources on 'lies' by making cases against people who had nothing to do with corruption. He further said the man who 'pressurised' the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and regularised his illegal residence at Bani Gala was making cases against them.
Imran Khan demolished the houses of hundreds of poor people by declaring them illegal. Action should be taken against the CDA officers for illegal regularisation of Imran Khan's house, he said, adding that we will not forgive Bani Gala NRO recipient. He said Imran Khan had misused his office and authority, and regularized his 'illegal' house.
The NAB had filed the NSCCP reference against Iqbal, former Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms (PD&R) and other accused on November 18. The reference filed in connection with the NSCCP, in which accused Iqbal misused his authority to illegally enhance the scope of project from Rs34.75 million to Rs2994 million approximately.
Accused Iqbal by misusing his authority hijacked the provincial project in violation of 18th constitutional amendment, and the Council of Common Interests (CCI) decision on April 28, 2011, with ulterior motives, and made huge wasteful expenditure from the federal government exchequer.
Moreover, accused Iqbal by misusing his authority illegally and unlawfully, without any justification increased the cost of project from 730 million to Rs3 billon, by misusing his authority for personal political mileage.
Accused Iqbal from 2012-13 to 2016-17 diverted about 90 percent of sports funds of Ministry of the IPC to his constituency by misusing his position to cement his political position by depriving the whole country through blatant conflict of interest.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020