Ahsan held in Narowal sports city project case.

Byline: Malik Asad and Syed Irfan Raza

ISLAMABAD -- As senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal was taken into custody by the National Accountability Bureau on Monday in a case pertaining to Narowal Sports City Project, another PML-N leader Dr Miftah Ismail secured bail in a NAB reference after remaining behind bars for five months.

The arrest of the main opposition party's secretary general who is also a member of the National Assembly drew criticism from the opposition parties that described the move as part of the 'collusion' between NAB and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

The bureau claimed to have already informed NA Speaker Asad Qaiser about the arrest of the PML-N lawmaker who it said would be produced before the accountability court of Islamabad on Tuesday (today) to seek his physical remand. A team of doctors conducted his medical assessment after his arrest, the NAB added.

Just before his arrest, the former planning and development minister at a press conference outside the NAB headquarters criticised what he termed 'NAB-PTI nexus'. While pleading innocence in the NSCP case, he alleged that the government was using institutions for arm-twisting of the opposition.

Talking to Dawn, a senior NAB official said people would come to know about Mr Iqbal's involvement in corruption when evidence against him would be presented in the court on Tuesday.

According to the bureau, Mr Iqbal had initiated the Narowal sports complex project in his hometown near the Pakistan-India border and allowed escalation in its cost from Rs750 million to Rs2.5 billion by 'misusing' his office of planning and development minister.

Earlier, Mr Iqbal told the press conference that he had filed documents related to his income and expenses to NAB's Rawalpindi office and also replied to a questionnaire given to him by the bureau in connection with the case.

He said the project was launched in 2009, while his party came to power in 2013. Being minister for development, he said he had taken up several incomplete projects including Narowal Sports City Project. He said the project cost exceeded its original cost as the project was revived and its scope was revised to meet international standards. He said the project was executed away from main city areas as per international practice. The funds spent on it were approved by cabinet, parliament and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, he said, adding that 90pc work on the project...