LAHORE: Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has appeared before the national anti-graft body in connection with housing schemes.
According to a source in the National Accountability Bureau, the minister was grilled by a joint investigation team for more than two hours at the NAB Headquarters in Lahore. Later, he was allowed to leave.
The source said the anti-graft body, if desires so, will call the minister again for questioning. PML-N leader Khawaja Saad is being investigated with regard to Paragon City project.
Saad Rafique’s brother, Salman Rafique, a provincial minister, has also been summoned by NAB to appear before the investigation team Thursday (today). Both the brothers are facing corruption charges in Ashiyana Housing Scheme and Paragon City projects.
Earlier, Saad was summoned to appear before NAB on March 22, but he skipped the proceedings citing his inability to appear.
Addressing a news conference after his appearance before the NAB investigators, Saad said judiciary gets strength from democratic system as only independent and impartial judiciary can take the country forward.
He said nobody is demanding any concession and no one is giving concession to anyone. He added dialogue is important for running the state affairs. He averred the meeting between the prime minister and the chief justice was held in the larger interest of the country. He said some elements were portraying the meeting in a negative manner.
The minister lamented a media trial was being launched against him and his family. He said he had submitted details of his property to the Supreme Court and the National Accountability Bureau with an affidavit. Saad said he would appear before NAB to answer more questions if summoned again. He said NAB law was the black law which was always used to victimice political opponents. Whenever the slogan of accountability was raised, its targets were some other things, he held. He asserted both the main political parties, PML-N and PPP, are equally responsible for the NAB law as they failed to revoke it.
He claimed the income of Pakistan Railways had been raised from Rs 18 billion to Rs 30 billion.
