Ahad Cheema acquitted in assets beyond income case

LAHORE: In a significant legal development, an accountability court in Lahore has acquitted Ahad Khan Cheema, former bureaucrat and Advisor to Prime Minister, in a case related to assets beyond means.

The verdict was delivered by AC Judge Malik Ali Zulqarnain Awan on Friday, accepting Cheema’s acquittal plea.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore had initiated the reference against Ahad Cheema in 2018, alleging assets beyond declared income. The court, however, ruled in favor of Cheema, asserting that the prosecution failed to substantiate the allegations.

Present in court, Ahad Cheema, along with his lawyer Amjad Pervaiz, witnessed the proceedings. NAB Prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua conveyed that the Bureau had no objections to Cheema’s acquittal.

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According to the NAB report submitted in court, all of Ahad Cheema’s assets align with his income. The report further clarified that the alleged Benami companies associated with Cheema acquired properties through legitimate means, not warranting the framing of a reference.

The report explicitly stated that properties held by Benami companies could not be linked to Ahad Cheema. Additionally, accounts belonging to Cheema’s relatives – Sadia Mansoor, Mansoor Ahmad, and Nazia Ashraf – were deemed non-Benami.

Reinvestigation findings disclosed that Cheema’s total income stands at Rs213 million, with expenditures amounting to Rs131 million.

Post-acquittal, Ahad Cheema expressed gratitude to Allah Almighty and remarked on the justice system’s functioning. He extended thanks to the civil secretariat officers for their cooperation and trust in him.

Cheema noted the positive aspect of Chairman NAB acknowledging mistakes made, emphasizing the importance of such transparency in the legal process.