Lahore court acquits Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana Housing scam. Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shehbaz Sharif, along with 10 other individuals, has been exonerated in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme reference.
The verdict, delivered by Accountability Court Judge Ali Zulqarnain Awan, saw the acquittal of prominent figures, including the former Director-General of Lahore Development Authority, Ahad Khan Cheema, and Caretaker Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad.
Judge Awan, in delivering the verdict, asserted that the prosecution failed to substantiate the corruption allegations against Shehbaz Sharif, Ahad Khan Cheema, and the other accused.
The anti-corruption watchdog reportedly cleared all individuals implicated in the case. The court, basing its decision on the lack of evidence supporting corruption charges, ruled in favor of acquitting the accused parties.
During the court proceedings, Shehbaz Sharif’s legal representatives contended that the Ashiana Iqbal Project did not incur any financial losses, as none of the accused derived any financial benefits.
The defense team further characterized the case as a politically motivated maneuver by the government, alleging that their client had been unjustly incarcerated based on a spurious reference.
This legal outcome follows a prior development in early 2023 when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) granted Shehbaz Sharif a clean chit in connection with the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme reference.
As Lahore court acquits Shehbaz Sharif in Ashiana Housing scam, the case, marked by allegations of irregularities, had been a source of intense political contention, significantly impacting the broader political landscape in Pakistan.
