Khawaja brothers remanded in custody

An accountability court yesterday remanded Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman Rafique to 10 days, in custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), in the Paragon City Housing fraud case.

Earlier, NAB officials presented the two brothers before Accountability Court Judge Syed Najamul Hassan amid tight security.

The prosecutor pleaded with the court for physical remand of the brothers for investigation, saying they were actual owners of Paragon City but had been running affairs through proxies.

‘Real owners’

He submitted that Shahid Butt and Qaisar Amin Butt, co-accused in the case, had said the Khawaja brothers were the real owners of the Paragon Society, in their confessional statements.

He alleged that both brothers exchanged land with the Society, which was a dubious matter.

He also alleged that the Khawaja brothers had received Rs100 million (Dh2.63 million) and that they failed to give justify the payment.

However, the Khawaja brothers’ lawyer said they did not have any links with the Paragon Society.