Panel postpones RDA scam hearing
The meeting of the special committee formed by the Punjab Chief Secretary to investigate the Rs1.94 billion corruption scandal in the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) failed to be held in Lahore on Thursday.
The Director-General of RDA, along with a Deputy Director and an Assistant Director, who had travelled to Lahore for the meeting, were informed about rescheduling of the meeting on June 11.
Meanwhile, NAB has intensified its probe into the financial scandal and conducted a raid at the residence of the late Deputy Director.
The special committee, comprising DMG officers, had summoned RDA's Director-General Kinza Murtaza, Deputy Director Iftikhar Janjua, and Assistant Director Waqar Asghar Raja to Lahore for a review of records. However, upon their arrival, they were informed that one committee member was unavailable, leading to the postponement of the hearing until June 11.
Surprisingly, despite the ongoing investigation, only one retired officer from the approximately dozen former Directors General and Directors of Administration and Finance of RDA, who served between 2016 and 2024/25, has been summoned.
Some of these officers have retired, while others hold key positions in Punjab.
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Express Tribune
21 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Panel postpones RDA scam hearing
The meeting of the special committee formed by the Punjab Chief Secretary to investigate the Rs1.94 billion corruption scandal in the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) failed to be held in Lahore on Thursday. The Director-General of RDA, along with a Deputy Director and an Assistant Director, who had travelled to Lahore for the meeting, were informed about rescheduling of the meeting on June 11. Meanwhile, NAB has intensified its probe into the financial scandal and conducted a raid at the residence of the late Deputy Director. The special committee, comprising DMG officers, had summoned RDA's Director-General Kinza Murtaza, Deputy Director Iftikhar Janjua, and Assistant Director Waqar Asghar Raja to Lahore for a review of records. However, upon their arrival, they were informed that one committee member was unavailable, leading to the postponement of the hearing until June 11. Surprisingly, despite the ongoing investigation, only one retired officer from the approximately dozen former Directors General and Directors of Administration and Finance of RDA, who served between 2016 and 2024/25, has been summoned. Some of these officers have retired, while others hold key positions in Punjab.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Sentence suspension in £190m case: IHC grants 7-day to NAB for appointing special prosecutor in IK, Bushra's pleas
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted seven days to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for appointing special prosecutor in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi's appeals seeking suspension of their sentence in £190 million case. A two-member bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, on Thursday, heard the case and adjourned the hearing until June 11, when the NAB told the court that it needed time to prepare arguments for the case. During the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi argued that the petitions for suspension of the sentence were heard, after much prayers and supplications, adding that today's date has not been given easily. NAB Prosecutor Rafay Maqsood appeared before the court and said that his request is that the federal government had to appoint a special prosecutor in this case but he has not been appointed yet. Rafay prayed the court to grant four week, stating that they had received the notice yesterday. The acting chief justice said for issuing notification for the prosecution team seven days are enough. Salman Safdar contended that more than 300 cases have been filed against the founder of PTI and the trial court sentenced him. Lawyer Latif Khosa said 'the PTI founder is in jail without any evidence; the PTI founder neither will go abroad nor is there any risk of tampering with the record.' The court directed the NAB prosecution team to notify the special prosecutor within seven days and adjourned the hearing until June 11. In this matter, founder PTI Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi approached the IHC seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million case. They moved the court through their counsel Barrister Salman Safdar and cited the state and the chairman NAB as respondents. Counsel Salman stated in petition that the petitioners were convicted by the Accountability Court (I) Islamabad through judgment dated 17.01.2025, wherein, they were held guilty for commission of offence of corruption and corrupt practices as defined u/s 9(a)(ii)(iv)(vi) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 and Imran was sentenced u/s 10(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 to undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) for 14 years and fine amounting to Rs1,000,000. Through the instant petition, they sought indulgence of this court for 'Suspension' of conviction and sentence awarded to them, till the final disposal of the main appeal already filed in the IHC. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
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Imran, Bushra fail to get Eid relief
Imran Khan and Bushra Babi could not get a relief ahead of Eidul Azha as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to appoint a special prosecutor to present its point of view on the couple's pleas seeking the suspension of their sentences in the £190m case. A division bench of the capital's high court, comprising IHC Acting Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, on Thursday took up the PTI founder's and his wife's applications, seeking their release on bail after suspension of their sentences in the corruption case. During the hearing, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing Imran and Bushra, quipped that they had managed to get the applications listed for hearing "after countless prayers and pleas". He claimed that cases Toshakhana I case, Toshakhana II, and then the £190 million case – were fabricated to keep the couple behind bars. "This is the most controversial verdict. The Supreme Court had made observations on the judge who delivered this verdict," he said. Islamabad Accountability Court-I Judge Nasir Javed Rana on January 17 sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi respectively to 14 and seven years in prison in the £190 million case In addition to the prison sentences, the court also imposed fines of Rs1 million on Imran and Rs500,000 on Bushra. The couple later challenged the verdict in the IHC. Referring to other cases, Safdar said the trial courts convict Imran and Bushra but high courts later state that the convictions are wrong and suspend such verdicts. NAB Prosecutor Rafiq Maqsood stated that he was informed about the case just a day earlier and received the notice only the previous night. "I request that since the federal government has to appoint a special prosecutor for this case, and correspondence is needed with the Ministry of Law, we should be granted four weeks' time," he said. Safdar, however, requested the court to decide Bushra's plea for suspension of her sentence prior to Eid." "If they want to bring a special team against the PTI founder, they can go aheadwe are not afraid," he added. Latif Khosa, who also belongs to the PTI, said Imran Khan is in jail without any evidence. "He has no intention of fleeing the country or tampering with the record," he said. The court remarked that the legal team should be given time to notify their representation. It adjourned the hearing until June 11.
