LHC rejects bail petition of Khawaja brothers

Lahore: On Tuesday Lahore High Court rejected the bail application of Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique in a corruption case.

Both the PML-N leaders were arrested on December 11. Both are chief suspects in the Paragon Housing Society reference, filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Baqir Najafi, announced the verdict. Khuwaja brothers have been accused by the NAB for wrongfully gaining approximately Rs18.2 million from Paragon city Pvt Limited in their bank accounts. The bureau claimed that the brothers were even able to get expensive land in return for cheap land through the scheme.

Saad Rafique acquired 40 kanals of land in his and his brother’s name, which he used to extend the project illegally and sold commercial plots worth billions of rupees.

In today’s hearing NAB counsel told that for inquiry against both the brothers for owning assets from unknown means an anti-corruption watchdog was initiated but had to be closed when in 2007 after both of them won prize bonds.

Both brothers are currently in judicial custody.