An accountability court in Lahore granted physical remand of PML-N senior leader Khawaja Asif till January 13 in assets beyond means case.

According to the details the move came as the NAB presented Khawaja Asif before the court and requested for a 15-day physical remand. Meanwhile, the court directed the NAB that the accused should be allowed to meet his counsel and family members with food being provided from his home.

On Tuesday evening, a NAB team had arrested Khawaja Asif from the Islamabad residence of Ahsan Iqbal where the party leaders had gathered to discuss the future line of action in connection with the PDM.

The arrest warrant of Khawaja Asif  reads: “the inquiry conducted so far reveals sufficient evidence to prove involvement of accused Khawaja Mohammad Asif, ex Federal Minister in the commission of offences as defined under section 9(a) and Schedule of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 and Section 3 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010”.

It alleges that Khwaja Asif “has accumulated assets comprising land measuring 40 kanal approx in Kent Housing Society, Sialkot, commercial properties in Sialkot, two apartments in Islamabad, acquisition and disposal of various plots in Lahore, incurred huge household expenditures, repaid loans along with markup and made investments in different private firms and public limited companies all valuing Rs813 million approximately in his own name, in the name of his family members and benamidars”.

According to the warrant  “Whereas the evidence reveals that total income of the accused including loans availed is Rs592 million from known sources from 1987 to 2018. Further, accused has received cash deposit in his bank accounts and in the bank accounts of his family members to the tune of Rs226 million approx which are prima facie unjustified”.