LAHORE:: An accountability court on Wednesday rejected an acquittal plea of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal in the Narowal Sports City reference case.
The court has previously reserved its judgment on the plea after the conclusion of arguments from both sides. During the hearing, Ahsan Iqbal’s counsel Zulfiqar Naqvi gave arguments and told the court that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has failed to present any evidence of alleged corrupt practices by his client nor proved any irregularity in the project.
He argued that the filing of the reference against was aimed at the character assassination of his client and he became the victim of political revenge by his rivals. “The Narowal Sports City project was launched in public interests that had been approved by a concerned forum including Central Development Working Party (CDWP). The approval of the sports project had been given at a time when Ahsan Iqbal did not come into power,” the counsel added.
He added that the Green Line project was also completed with the funding of the federal government just like many other provincial projects funded by the Centre. The defence lawyer pleaded with the accountability court to accept the acquittal plea of the in Narowal Sports City reference.
On the other hand, NAB prosecutor opposed the acquittal of Ahsan Iqbal in the corruption reference and apprised the court that the bureau has solid evidence of the politician’s corrupt practices. The prosecutor requested the court to reject Iqbal’s acquittal plea.
PML-N Leader Ahsan Iqbal was indicted in December 22 last year, in the case. He pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges. He has been named as accused in the Narowal Sports City reference filed by NAB. He is accused of inflicting losses worth billions of rupees on the national exchequer by launching the Sports City project in his constituency.
