LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday extended the judicial remand of PML-N MP Khawaja Asif in assets beyond means case until May 6.
The former foreign minister was produced before the court as Accountability Judge Asad Ali Chaudhry resumed the hearing.
“When will a reference be filed [against Asif] in the case,” the judge asked a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor. To which the latter said the inquiry against the accused has been converted into an investigation.
The court directed the prosector to submit a reply at the next hearing. The matter was adjourned until May 6.
According to the charge sheet against Asif, NAB was carrying out investigations against him under Clause 4 of the NAB Ordinance, 1999 and Section 3 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010.
“Before assuming the public office in 1991, the total worth of Khawaja Asif’s assets was Rs5.1 million which increased to Rs221m in 2018 after serving on different posts that do not match with his known sources of income,” said the statement.
“Accused Khawaja Asif claimed to have received Rs130 million from a UAE firm M/s IMECO, but during the course of the investigation, he failed to present any solid evidence of receiving this amount as a salary,” it said. “This clearly shows that the accused tried to prove his income through fake sources.”
Moreover, NAB alleges that Asif was also running a company, Tariq Mir and Company — registered in the name of his staffer — through his frontmen. It said that an amount of Rs400 million was deposited in the account of Tariq Mir and no sources of this huge amount were disclosed.
