Daily Times

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Saturday arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader in National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif in Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Shehbaz, who was arrested by NAB on October 5 in Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case, was produced before an accountability court in Lahore on Saturday after his transit remand granted to attend the National Assembly (NA) session expired. As the hearing started, NAB prosecutor told the court, “We have arrested Shehbaz Sharif on November 10 in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.” He requested the court for a 15-day extension in Shehbaz’s physical remand in the housing scheme case and also pleaded for his physical remand in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. “The new request that has been submitted in the court has been filed on false grounds,” Shehbaz’s counsel Amjad Pervaiz said. “The law states that a man who has been arrested in one case will be considered arrested in other cases as well,” he added. At this, the NAB prosecutor said, “The new case is different and we have evidence in the ongoing case.”

Shehbaz’s counsel cited examples of various court judgments and opposed NAB’s request for an extension in the remand. “DG NAB Lahore Saleem Shahzad has become a party in Shehbaz’s case and has been giving interviews on different talks shows,” he said. “NAB summoned the PML-N president for the first time in June 2018. Shehbaz appeared before the accountability watchdog whenever he was summoned and cooperated in the investigations,” he said. “Till date, NAB has not been able to provide any solid evidence against Shehbaz in the Ashiana Housing scheme, thus there is no reason to extend his remand,” the counsel asserted.

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its judgment on NAB’s requests. However, later the court granted an extension to NAB in Shehbaz’s physical remand in Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case but rejected the request for his physical remand in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Shehbaz will now be presented before the accountability court on November 24.

A large number of PML-N workers gathered outside the court while security was beefed up around the premises during the hearing. On October 29, an accountability court had granted the PML-N president a three-day transit remand to attend the National Assembly session. The leader of the opposition in NA was then flown to Islamabad and his Minister’s Enclave residence was declared a sub-jail. An accountability court in Islamabad had on October 31 extended Shehbaz’s transit remand till November 6 and then till November 10. NAB has accused Shehbaz of misusing his powers while being the chief minister of Punjab in an inquiry pertaining to the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC).

Published in Daily Times, November  11^th 2018.