The Punjab government's controversial Ashiana housing projects, launched in 2010, have been the subject of much controversy and speculation over the years.

Launched as low-cost housing schemes, the Ashiana projects were greeted with considerable enthusiasm when they launched.

Promising modest accommodation at knockdown prices, they attracted middle and lower-middle class investors desperate to secure shelter for their families as urban property prices increasingly went beyond the average citizen's reach.

However, completion hiccups and unexplained delays in balloting and allotment of completed units soon gave rise to accusations of irregularity, which culminated in 2018 with several high profile arrests.

Main accused

Ahad Cheema (left), Shahbaz Sharif (centre) and Fawad Hasan Fawad (right).

According to a January 16 National Accountability Bureau (NAB) notification, Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif is accused of ordering the cancellation of a contract given to successful bidder Chaudhry Latif and Sons for the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme, which led to the subsequent award of the contract to Lahore Casa Developers, a proxy group of Paragon City Private Limited, resulting in a loss of Rs193 million.

He is also accused of directing the Punjab Land Development Company to assign the Ashiana-i-Iqbal project to the Lahore Development Authority, which awarded the contract to Lahore Casa developers, causing a loss of Rs715m and the ultimate failure of the project.

NAB has also accused Shahbaz of directing the Punjab Land Development Company to award the consultancy services contract for the Ashiana-i-Iqbal project to Engineering Consultancy Services Punjab for Rs192m, while the actual cost was supposed to be Rs35m as quoted by Nespak, a renowned engineering consultancy.

The other key accused in the case include Fawad Hasan Fawad, the former principal secretary to the prime minister and a senior bureaucrat.

According to the National Accountability Bureau, Fawad, while serving as implementation secretary to the Punjab chief minister in the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing project, had misused his authority.

A NAB investigator had told Dawn that Fawad had issued illegal orders to the chief executive of the Punjab Land Development Company, Tahir Khursheed, to suspend the award of contract for the housing project to Chaudhry Latif and Sons.

The contract had been legally awarded to Chaudhry Latif and Sons but it was illegally suspended after eight months, the investigator had told Dawn.

An inquiry under the supervision of then finance secretary Tariq Bajwa to investigate the contract had declared the process legal and in the spirit of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules. However, Fawad allegedly shelved the inquiry report and did not inform the authorities about it.

Chaudhry Latif and Sons were given Rs70 million as a mobilisation advance and begun work on the project. The government later had to pay an additional Rs5.9m to the company due to the illegal suspension of the contract.

The NAB investigator had said that the illegal steps taken by Fawad had not only caused an inordinate delay in the execution of the project, but also resulted in a considerable project cost hike.

NAB has also arrested Ahad Khan Cheema, former director general of the Lahore Development Authority.

Cheema was heading two power companies in Punjab prior to his arrest. The grade-19 PAS officer is accused of misusing his authority to award the 14-billion-rupee contract to a favoured development firm.

In return, Cheema reportedly received 32 kanals of land which was then allegedly transferred to various members of his family, including his cousin and sister.

NAB claims the land was bought with over Rs30 million transferred in to the account of one Paragon Housing Society.

Othe people arrested in the case include Bilal Qidwani, Imtiaz Haider, Shahid Shafiq, Sardar Saeed and Arif Butt. Saeed and Butt are currently out on bail.

Timeline

Here's a timeline of Dawn stories about the Ashiana schemes.

2011

Pain in the name of Ashiana

The Punjab housing department's 11-year-long efforts to design a housing scheme for the poor in Jhelum are hijacked by the 'populist' Ashiana Housing Scheme, robbing the department people of due credit.

2014

City Diary: ‘Weird’ conditions keep applicants away from Ashiana

Shady terms and conditions related to age, income, downpayment, etc for applying to the Ashiana-i-Iqbal housing scheme keeps majority of applicants at bay from investing.

2015

60,000 applied for Ashiyana scheme: LDA

The Lahore Development Authority claims that as many as 60,000 people have so far applied for the allotment of apartments/flats in the Ashiyana Iqbal Housing Scheme.

2016

Ashiana Housing Scheme without residents

Despite construction having completed two years prior, and balloting done earlier in the year, owners still await possession of their houses.

2017

July

Ashiana Housing Scheme is home for some

The Ashiana Housing scheme becomes home for 11 families who start residing in their newly acquired homes. Keys were handed to 35 families of the 100-house scheme.

December

Ashiana Iqbal ‘scam’: LDA’s ex-DG to appear before NAB today

NAB finds illegalities in a land deal between Paragon Housing society and the PLDC and proceeds to summon LDA’s former DG Ahad Cheema and two top officials of the housing society.





NAB finds illegalities in a land deal between Paragon Housing society and the PLDC and proceeds to summon LDA’s former DG Ahad Cheema and two top officials of the housing society. Ahad testifies in Ashiana case

LDA's former DG Ahad Cheema appears before NAB and records his statement in the mega land scam involving Paragon Housing society and PLDC.

2018

January

NAB summons Shahbaz over housing scheme inquiry - January 18, 2018

Shahbaz Sharif, the then Punjab chief minister, is summoned by NAB for the first time for his involvement in the Ashiana Housing scheme case. He stands accused of cancelling the award of contract to a successful bidder and instead giving it to a favoured company.

February

Punjab govt not giving up records, says NAB chief - February 09, 2018

NAB chairman expresses the bureau's unhappiness with the Punjab government's 'non-cooperation'on the various investigations the bureau has initiated against Shahbaz, his cabinet and senior officials.





NAB chairman expresses the bureau's unhappiness with the Punjab government's 'non-cooperation'on the various investigations the bureau has initiated against Shahbaz, his cabinet and senior officials. Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing scam: NAB arrests LDA ex-chief Ahad Cheema - February 22, 2018

NAB arrests former head of the Lahore Development Authority Ahad Khan Cheema after he fails to appear before an investigation team probing the Ashiana Housing scam.

March

April

Ahad Cheema’s plea declared non-maintainable - April 04, 2018

A petition against Ahad Cheema's arrest is declared non-maintainable by the Lahore High Court as an arrest cannot be challenged while a suspect is under physical remand.





A petition against Ahad Cheema's arrest is declared non-maintainable by the Lahore High Court as an arrest cannot be challenged while a suspect is under physical remand. Physical remand extended again: NAB claims Cheema, spouse maintained foreign currency accounts - April 27, 2018

Ahad Cheema remanded into physical custody for 15 more days as NAB discovers foreign currency account records from his laptop.

May

June

Judicial remand of Ahad Cheema and others extended - June 05, 2018

An accountability court approves a 14-day extension of a judicial remand on Ahad Cheema as it observes that Cheema being head of the LDA awarded without any bidding a Rs14 billion contract to a joint venture led by Lahore Casa Company.





An accountability court approves a 14-day extension of a judicial remand on Ahad Cheema as it observes that Cheema being head of the LDA awarded without any bidding a Rs14 billion contract to a joint venture led by Lahore Casa Company. NAB wants 23 bureaucrats ‘close to Sharifs’ on ECL - June 24, 2018

NAB recommends the placement of 23 bureaucrats believed to be close to the Sharif family on the exit control list (ECL) in the backdrop of Ashiana Housing scam and other corruption cases.

July

Fawad Hassan Fawad arrested by NAB in Ashiana housing scam - July 05, 2018

Civil Services Academy Director General Fawad Hassan Fawad is arrested by NAB after a court hearing requiring him to provide evidence against his involvement in the Ashiana Housing scam. Fawad as implementation secretary to Shahbaz Sharif stands accused of awarding the Ashiana contract to a 'favourite' firm.





Civil Services Academy Director General Fawad Hassan Fawad is arrested by NAB after a court hearing requiring him to provide evidence against his involvement in the Ashiana Housing scam. Fawad as implementation secretary to Shahbaz Sharif stands accused of awarding the Ashiana contract to a 'favourite' firm. Fawad remanded in 14-day NAB custody - July 07, 2018

Fawad is placed under 14-day physical remand to the NAB in connection with a probe into the Ashiana Housing scam.





Fawad is placed under 14-day physical remand to the NAB in connection with a probe into the Ashiana Housing scam. NAB seizes documents, gadgets in raid on Fawad’s house - July 08, 2018

NAB raids Fawad's house and seizes crucial documents and other equipment to conduct a forensic audit in light of revelations during initial investigation into the Ashiana probe.

August

September

NAB to file reference against Ahad Cheema - September 29, 2018

NAB decides to file reference against Ahad Cheema for possessing assets worth Rs700 million beyond his known sources of income.

October