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ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday approved one-day transit remand of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif in assets beyond income case.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) produced Khawaja Asif before the accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir. The anti-corruption watchdog sought transit remand of the former defence minister which was approved The court directed NAB officials to produce him before the concerned court tomorrow and transfer the accused to Lahore.
During hearing, Asif’s counsel opposed the NAB’s plea seeking his transit remand and demanded the accountability court to order the immediate release of his client but the court rejected the plea.
Later, NAB Lahore team took away Khawaja Asif from the courtroom. He will be produced before an accountability court in Lahore tomorrow where the prosecution will seek his physical remand.
Before appearing before the court, the PML-N leader interacted with journalists and claimed that NAB has not yet started interrogation from him and was given a charge sheet for possessing assets beyond income. He alleged that the government is attempting to weaken the stance of Nawaz Sharif and trying to split the political party into different factions.
Khawaja Asif was arrested on Tuesday by NAB officials in Islamabad for allegedly possessing wealth beyond his known sources of income.
Asif was reportedly arrested after he left PML-N lawmaker Ahsan Iqbal’s residence after meeting scheduled shortly following the press conference of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He was kept at NAB Rawalpindi’s office after he underwent a medical examination.
The accountability watchdog had claimed that Asif could not furnish a satisfactory response on his possession of assets amounting to Rs260 million. NAB Chairman had reported ordered Asif’s arrest after he could not convince the three-member investigation committee on possessing inordinate assets.
