The NAB clears PM Shehbaz in the Ashiana Housing case.

LAHORE – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has found Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif not guilty in the Ashiana Housing case investigation.

In its findings, the anti-graft agency said that it had found no evidence of abuse of authority or corruption against the premier in the case. It said that when the initiative was launched, there were no losses to the national treasury, and that Mr Sharif received no monetary gains from it.

According to the data and documents analysed throughout the inquiry, no public office bearer obtained illicit advantages from the project.

It said that neither Kamran Kayani nor Fawad Hasan Fawad caused any harm to the national exchequer in the awarding of contracts.

The accountability bureau has filed the report before a Lahore accountability court hearing the corruption case against Shehbaz Sharif and others. The report was provided in answer to the accused’ acquittal requests in the case.

The NAB requested that the accountability court rule on the acquittal pleas in accordance with the law.

In March, NAB witnesses told the court that the PML-N president was not guilty in the Ashiana Housing Society case. The witnesses said that they had no knowledge of any unlawful activity occurring throughout the project. They also said that the bid was launched in accordance with the rules and regulations, that the project was signed and funded via the finance committee, and that all essential papers were constructed in accordance with the rules.

A NAB witness, Layyah Deputy Commissioner Khalid Pervaiz, said that he served as LDA director from 2013 to 2015. He said that he had agreed to sign the Ashiana Housing Society implementation project. He further said that he gave his testimony to the NAB’s investigating officer on March 6, 2018.

The LDA had formed a committee on the Ashiana Housing Society project, according to NAB’s second witness, Mehmood Ahmad Sulehri, and invited Nespak to select a senior member for the body. “Nespak nominated me as a member of that committee,” he said. A committee conducted a thorough bid examination. The document was subsequently sent to a steering committee. He said that he joined the probe on March 9, 2018 and made a statement.

The court also recorded the testimony of design expert Hussain Ahmad. In 2014, he indicated that he worked as a design professional. He said that he had completed a proposal for the Ashiana Housing Society project. “I developed standards for the society’s structure.” “Three committees were formed: the bid opening committee, the technical evaluation committee, and the financial evaluation committee,” he said. Mr. Ahmad said that each proposal was accepted in front of cameras and was duly signed by each member.