Housing scandal: SC adjourns Khawaja brothers’ bail plea hearing

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing of bail pleas filed by former railway minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique for an indefinite time period in the Paragon Housing case.

The DC judges Justice Ejazul Ahsan and Justice Aminuddin Khan while conducting the pleas, adjourned the hearing without any proceedings as the lawyer of Khawaja brothers, advocate Ashtar Ausaf Ali’s lawyer did not attend the hearing due to his health.

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Khawaja brothers were arrested on 11th Dec 2018 on the charges of signing an agreement with Paragon City regarding the sale of land worth over Rs393 million.

On 17th April, the involvement of Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman in the Paragon City was exposed.  Qaiser Amin Butt, the director of the Paragon Housing Society, was also included in the inquiry initiated by the NAB (National Accountability Bureau), and he was also arrested in November last year. Later, he agreed to turn approver against the Khawaja brothers and Zia.

Also read: Court extends Khawaja brothers’ judicial remand for 8 days

Butt and Zia established a company ‘Air Avenue’ in the year 2003; however, the name was later changed to Paragon City private (Pvt) Limited.

Later, the NAB launched an investigation into the alleged fraud and corruption in the Paragon Housing Society when the case related to the Asiana scheme was being probed.