The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has acquitted the Khawaja brothers in the Paragon Housing Society reference, stating that there was insufficient evidence to prove their involvement in corruption. According to the NAB report, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique were found innocent, and no concrete proof of corruption was found against them. Consequently, NAB decided not to pursue further action against them in this reference.
The case revolved around allegations of corruption in the Paragon Housing Society. However, the NAB report concluded that there were no substantial grounds to support these claims against the Khawaja brothers. The absence of evidence led to the exoneration of the accused, and NAB stated that there was no need for further proceedings regarding this matter.
Furthermore, NAB requested the Lahore High Court to send the Paragon reference to the Accountability Court for further investigation. The court approved NAB’s request, directing the reference to be sent to the Accountability Court for legal proceedings.
The NAB report also highlighted the approval of Paragon Housing Society’s Aziz Bhatti Town project while rejecting the approval of the LDAs (Lahore Development Authority) for the same project. This decision indicated that while the society was granted permission from Aziz Bhatti Town, the approval from LDA was not obtained.
Additionally, the report mentioned that LDA’s role primarily involved addressing minor complaints and regulatory matters. The report clarified that LDA functioned as a regulator, focusing on resolving small-scale complaints and ensuring compliance with regulations.
The NAB investigation found the Khawaja brothers innocent of corruption charges related to the Paragon Housing Society reference due to the lack of substantial evidence. Consequently, the case has been transferred to the Accountability Court for further legal proceedings. This development underscores the importance of robust evidence and due process in legal matters, emphasizing the significance of a thorough and fair investigation in determining the guilt or innocence of the accused parties.
