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Saturday, April 13, 2024

Noose tightening around Khawaja brothers: Qaiser Butt arrested by NAB

News Desk|

In a major breakthrough, the law enforcement agencies along with NAB officers arrested an ex-director of the Paragon Housing Society, Ameen Qaisar Butt from a village in Khairpur for his alleged involvement in the corrupt practices.

Qaiser is wanted in the infamous paragon housing society scandal in which top government functionaries and PMLN leadership are involved. As per media reports, Qaiser Amin Butt, also a former PMLN member of the Punjab Assembly was arrested from Interior Sindh as he was trying to reach Sukkur airport to flee the country.

The Bureau had launched an investigation into the scandal after protests by victims. Former Lahore Development Authority DG Ahad Cheema and others are already in the NAB custody over the corruption allegations.

According to NAB, Paragon Housing Society doesn’t have LDA’s approval. Butt along with Nadeem Zia and others launched the housing scheme during 2005, on the basis of forged and fabricated documents. Butt, the director of said society is unlawfully running the scheme; he aided Nadeem Zia and other in cheating people by issuing allotment letter of commercial and residential plots on the basis of land that is not the property of Paragon housing Society. Thus the accused has illegally collected funds from the general public.

Butt has been an absconding fugitive ever since the inquiry launched against him by the NAB but was finally arrested from the residence of a close aide of PPP Leader Asif Ali Zardari known as Mubeen Jamani.

Earlier, The Lahore High Court on Wednesday extended the interim bail of former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique in the same Paragon Housing Society scandal till November 26.

Read more: LHC extends pre-arrest bail of Khawajas

Being partners in Paragon housing scheme, both the accused reportedly benefited from Ashiyana Iqbal housing scheme through Paragon housing scheme.

The Bureau had launched an investigation into the scandal after protests by victims. Former Lahore Development Authority DG Ahad Cheema and others are already in the NAB custody over the corruption allegations.

Given the pre-bail arrest appeals made by Khawaja Brothers, it seems both know that it’s not long that they will be facing charges for the alleged involvement in corruption.

Read more: Is Saad Rafique next in line to go to prison?

PM Khan has categorically repeated that no one is above the law and his government will see corrupts meeting the fate they deserve. Top PMLN and PPP leadership including Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Asif Ali Zardari, is already facing corruption charges. No wonder Khawaja Asif fears arrest too.