LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif has sought post-arrest bail from the Lahore High Court in a money-laundering and assets beyond means inquiry against him started by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Khawaja Asif filed his bail petition on Saturday through his counsel Barrister Haider Rasul Mirza which stated that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested him from Islamabad on December 29 last year.
He said, “Mere ownership of property/assets did not constitute an offense under section 9 (a) (v), adding it is the failure to explain the source of funds that points towards the commission of the offense.”
“The inquiry is being conducted on conjectures and surmises with a view to rope the petitioner into baseless and unfounded allegations,” claimed Asif in his petition.
The petitioner further added, “In the absence of any plausible reason to reject the detailed explanation offered by the petitioner regarding his ownership of assets and source of income, this case is one of further inquiry and post-arrest bail should be granted.”
The PML-N leader stated that he had provided the respondents with an explanation of the various sources of income that adequately justify the acquisition of the assets presently owned, and which were owned by him in the past.
“Rejection of the explanation, without any reasonable ground, is itself evidence of the arbitrary exercise of power on part of respondents hence justifying interference by the court and grant of post-arrest bail,” it added.
The senior PML-N leader made the respondents NAB, its DG, and other officials involved in his post-arrest bail. He prayed that the court would admit to his petition and that he is granted post-arrest bail in the stated matter.
On December 29, 2020, NAB had arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif in assets beyond means case.
PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb had confirmed Asif had been taken into custody in the backdrop of an ongoing investigation into allegations of him possessing assets beyond known sources of income.
Aurangzeb said Asif was arrested from near PML-N general secretary Ahsan Iqbal’s house. According to sources, a consultative session of the party was being held to debate whether PML-N will take part in Senate elections. Following the meeting, when Asif was on his way back, he was arrested near Iqbal’s residence.
The spokesperson of NAB said the PML-N leader had earlier been summoned for an investigation, however; he failed to provide the required evidence.
Asif held an iqama (work permit) from 2004 to 2008, adding that he earned a total of Rs136 million for his services as a consultant legal adviser, the spokesperson added.
In 2019, NAB and the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had started action against the close confidant of former premier Nawaz Sharif on the allegation of illegally establishing a housing project in his hometown Sialkot.
According to NAB, evidence shows Asif established the Kent Housing Society, which has been operating illegally.
In November 2020, NAB had sought records from him regarding sources and local amount of funds invested in the project by him, his family members (wife and son) and other partners/close relatives.
