LAHORE – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday summoned Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique over his alleged involvement in Lahore’s Paragon Housing Society scam on March 22.
The corruption scandal was brought to light last month after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry alleged that the minister had owned the housing scheme in 2014.
In a press conference, Fawad had alleged that the whole country knew that the Paragon City housing society belonged to the PML-N minister.
Saad, while maintaining his innocence, had sent a legal notice to the PTI leader for leveling baseless allegations against him, demanding a compensation of Rs5 billion.
Punjab’s Health Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique, who is Saad’s younger brother, has also been summoned in a separate probe on March 26, according to NAB officials.
The province’s health secretary, Najam Shah, had appeared before NAB in the past week.
The national corruption watchdog had earlier questioned Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad relating to Ashiana Housing Scheme.
The investigation led to the arrest of former Director-General of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Ahad Khan Cheema and four others over charges of corruption through housing societies.
Cheema and others were presented before an accountability court, which handed them over to the NAB till April 4 on physical remand.
