LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday extended till February 18 the judicial remand of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif in the assets beyond means case against him.
In December, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Asif after he during successive quizzes failed to explain the source of his income and assets.
The hearing on Thursday was presided over by Admin Judge Jawadul Hassan during which the former minister appeared before the court amid strict security measures.
A NAB prosecutor presented the progress report in the reference against Asif before the court.
Subsequently, the judge adjourned the hearing, extending the judicial remand of the suspect.
According to the charge sheet against Asif, NAB says he was first elected senator in 1991 with assets to the tune of Rs5 million. However, it adds his assets swelled to Rs221 million by 2018, which were beyond known sources of his income.
Responding to the news of his arrest, a spokesperson said Asif held an iqama (a work permit used in Saudi Arabia) between 2004 to 2008, adding he claimed to have earned a total of Rs136 million for his services as a consultant legal adviser.
The PML-N leader was directed to submit details of the salary he received and other information. He was also asked to provide the job application he had submitted to a foreign company as well as his iqama agreement.
“However, Khawaja Asif continuously failed to cooperate [with the agency] during the inquiry stage,” the spokesperson said.
