An accountability court in Lahore has acquitted two prime suspects in the Ashiana Housing Project corruption scandal, Nadeem Zia Pirzada and Kamran Kiyani. The judge, Ali Zulqarnain Awan, reserved his verdict on August 4, 2023, and announced it on October 11, 2023.
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The Ashiana Housing Project was a government-funded project to build 3,000 affordable housing units in Lahore. The project was launched in 2014 and was supposed to be completed in 2016. However, it was stalled in 2016 due to allegations of corruption.
In 2017, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Pirzada, the former chairman of the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), and Kiyani, the former managing director of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), on charges of corruption and money laundering.
The NAB alleged that Pirzada and Kiyani had awarded the contract for the Ashiana Housing Project to a company owned by a close friend of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The NAB also alleged that Pirzada and Kiyani had received kickbacks from the company in exchange for awarding it the contract.
Pirzada and Kiyani denied the charges, and their trial began in 2018. The trial lasted for four years, and the prosecution presented over 100 witnesses. However, the court acquitted Pirzada and Kiyani on all charges on October 11, 2023.
The court’s decision has been welcomed by Pirzada and Kiyani’s supporters, who have argued that they were innocent and that they were politically motivated. However, the decision has also been criticized by some, who believe that the court should have convicted Pirzada and Kiyani.
The Ashiana Housing scandal is a complex case with a long history. It is possible that the case will be appealed, and it is also possible that the NAB will pursue further investigations. It remains to be seen how the case will ultimately be resolved.
Analysis
The Ashiana Housing scandal is one of the most high-profile corruption cases in Pakistan in recent years. The acquittal of Pirzada and Kiyani is a major setback for the NAB and for the government’s anti-corruption campaign.
The acquittal also raises questions about the fairness of the Pakistani judicial system. Some have alleged that the court was under political pressure to acquit Pirzada and Kiyani. Others have argued that the prosecution simply failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Whatever the reason for the acquittal, it is clear that the Ashiana Housing scandal has tarnished the image of the Pakistani government and the judiciary. The case also highlights the need for reforms in the Pakistani judicial system and in the NAB.