LAHORE: Former director general of Lahore Development Authority Ahad Khan Cheema has approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for charging him with the same allegation in two different references filed against him.

A writ petition of Cheema filed through Barrister Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi stated that NAB had included a piece of land measuring 99 kanal and 17 marlas situated at village Tehra, Lahore Cantonment, as an ill-gotten property in two references, Punjab Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and assets beyond means, pending adjudication against him.

He said an application on the matter was filed with the accountability court holding trial in the references but it dismissed the same. He argued that act of the prosecution was illegal and in violation of his fundamental rights under Article 13 of the Constitution, which gives protection against double punishment.

The petitioner submitted that under the law no person could be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once. He asked the court to set aside the impugned order passed by the trial court and the offence related to the same property be amended in the references.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2021