LAHORE: Former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafique and his younger brother former Punjab health minister Khwaja Salman Rafique, both MPAs-elect, on Wednesday skipped their appearance before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for taking oath in the Punjab Assembly.

Both siblings were directed by the NAB Lahore team to bring relevant record and documents in connection with the Paragon Housing Society case. The NAB had launched investigation into the case in November 2017. The housing society is said to be owned by Mr Saad who, however, denied any connection with it in a statement before the apex court.

Their lawyer Barrister Haris Sohal appeared before the NAB investigation team and said that his clients could not appear as they had to take oath as members of the Punjab Assembly.

He appealed to the team to give another date for the appearance.

A NAB source told Dawn that the regional board meeting headed by the bureau`s director general would decide whether to issue notices for hearing to the Khwaja brothers in connection with the Paragon Housing Society case or not. The Khwaja brothers could not give a satisfactory reply to the NAB questionnaire.