Fawad Hasan Fawad acquitted in Ashiana scam

LAHORE: An accountability court (ATC) Thursday acquitted former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s principal secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad and other accused in cases of corruption and possessing assets beyond means.

In June 2018, the NAB Lahore had arrested Fawad on charges of corruption in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam and three other projects. He was accused of owning illegal assets worth billions of rupees.

The court accepted the pleas by the accused that the prosecution’s case was mala fide, fabrication through concealment of material facts and had insufficient incriminating evidence against him.

The court ruled that the evidence against Fawad and the co-accused was insufficient, and acquitted Fawad and the co-accused, including his wife, brother and Dr Anjum Hassan.

Fawad was considered the most influential bureaucrat during the PML-N government and after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, he also served as secretary to former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.Regarded as a highly respected civil servant having served in various administrative posts over the last 30 years, Fawad served 19 months, including 89 days in the NAB custody.

His application for acquittal remained unassigned on the desk of former chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa for nine months.

He was finally bailed after his date of retirement in 2020, on completion of 33 years of service, 19 months of which he spent in jail.

Earlier, in 2020, the Lahore High Court granted him bail in the case of owning assets beyond means on Rs10 million surety bonds.

The LHC division bench of Justice Muhammad Tariq Abbasi and Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad was informed by Fawad’s counsel that the NAB had failed to indict Fawad despite two years in custody.

He spent 19 months in jail, including 89 days in NAB custody. Fawad’s application for acquittal remained unassigned on the desk of former chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa for nine months. He was finally bailed after his date of retirement in 2020, concluding 33 years of service, 19 months of which he spent in jail.

Fawad has served as secretary to former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Nawaz Sharif. He is a highly respected civil servant having served in various administrative posts over the last 30 years.

His acquittal on merit once again reinforces claims that the extra-judicial measures taken by the National Accountability Bureau to were meant to manipulate the political order over the last few years. Many cases NAB made against a number of political leaders and senior civil servants could not withstand the scrutiny of law.