The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought a reply from the federal government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over placement of Shehbaz Sharif’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) till March 12. On February 28, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif had challenged placement of his name on the ECL in the Lahore High Court. A two-member bench comprising Justice Shehzad Ahmed Khan and Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf took up the case. Defence counsel in his arguments said that someone’s name could not be placed on the ECL only on assumptions as it was the violation of basic rights. Shehbaz’s counsel pleaded the court to annul the notification placing his client’s name on the ECL as he wanted to fly to the United Kingdom to see-off his ailing granddaughter. “[The] NAB failed to prove charges of financial irregularities in Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana Housing scam,” Sharif had stated in his plea. He further added that the court granted him bail after provision of evidence of his innocence. Accountability court rejects petition to adjourn Ramzan Sugar Mills case against Shehbaz, Hamza His name was put on the ECL following approval of the federal cabinet on recommendations of the anti-graft watchdog. Meanwhile, an accountability court hearing Ramzan Sugar Mills case against Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz on Monday rejected a petition to adjourn the case. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz appeared before an accountability court on Monday as it resumed hearing into the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. As the hearing got underway, a lawyer informed the accountability judge that Shehbaz’s counsel was busy in the Supreme Court, and requested him to adjourn the case for now. He further requested the court to provide a copy of the reference against the PML-N leaders on the next hearing and direct the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit original documents with regard to the case. Turning down his request, the judge said he won’t allow the plea for adjournment as lawyers representing other accused were present in the court. Over the course of the hearing, there was also a heated exchange of words between the judge and Shehbaz’s counsel over the former’s refusal to adjourn the hearing. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against Shehbaz and his son – leaders of the opposition in the National and Punjab assemblies, respectively – naming them as the primary accused in the scam. NAB officials said Shehbaz, being chief minister of Punjab, misused his authority by issuing directives for the construction of a 10-kilometer-long drain in Chiniot district primarily to benefit the sugar mills his son owned. Shehbaz and Hamza have been accused of fraudulently causing a Rs 213 million loss to the national exchequer. Earlier on Feb 18, an accountability court indicted Shehbaz Sharif and other accused in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing scandal. However, they pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges against them. It could be mentioned here that Shehbaz Sharif was granted bail last month in Ashiana Housing and Ramzan Sugar mills scandals by the Lahore High Court (LHC). inp Judicial remand of Khawaja Brothers extended till 19th The judicial remand of Khawaja brothers in Paragon Housing Scheme case has been extended till March 19 by an accountability court. According to details, Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique appeared before an accountability court today (Monday) in Paragon Housing case. The court, demanding submission of copies of pertaining documents in the case, extended judicial remand of the politician brothers till March 19. After the hearing concluded, the prominent leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) talked to media outside the court. Saad Rafique said that the ongoing cases against them were based on ‘revenge’. “We raised the standard of government institutions but did not get any reward for it. It is a tradition in this country that whoever works for it gets punished. However, we have no sorrow for it,” said Saad Rafique. Addressing the tensions between Pakistan and India which seem to have settled down a bit in the last couple of days, the former railways’ minister said that the opposition played a more responsible role to counter the situation compared to the federal government. Published in Daily Times, March 5th 2019.