Daily Times

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Saturday once again reached Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif’s  home in an attempt to arrest Hamza Shahbaz again.

Police vehicles are outside his residence and anti-riot force has also been deployed. Police has been positioned at the main gate of the house.

NAB had filed an FIR with the ploice for Hamza’s guards who have said to have interfered with the state’s function and had further requested the interior ministry to include Hamza’s name in the exit control list.

NAB in a press release noted that the Supreme Court has made it very clear that NAB did not need to inform suspects prior to their arrest.

Addressing a press conference following the incident, Hamza showed a document that he described as a court order. “I have a court order saying that I will be informed 10 days prior to arrest,” he had said, adding that the court told him he would be given an opportunity to make a case for obtaining bail as well.

The NAB press release said that Hamza’s guards had beaten members of the NAB team, tore their clothes, and threatened their lives.

The NAB statement added: “Therefore, there has been a clear violation of the law by Hamza Shehbaz.”

“Those who interfere in NAB’s legal action and the operations of the state will be proceeded against as per the law,” the statement added.

Hamza requested the LHC to immediately cancel the arrest warrants issued against him.

In his petition, the PML-N leader upheld, “The  National Accountability Bureau (NAB) unlawfully conducted a raid at the residence.”

Additional Director NAB Chaudhry Asghar while speaking to PML-N lawyer Atta Tarrar outside the Shehbaz family residence said, “We are here to arrest Hamza and should be allowed to go inside the house.”

“We have Hamza’s arrest warrant,” the NAB additional director said.

Later speaking to the media, the NAB additional director said, “We are not being allowed inside the residence to arrest Hamza and no one is cooperating with us.”

“Hamza is a renowned politician and should behave like one. Hamza should not hide behind workers,” he asserted. “The whole Pakistan is watching that a renowned politician is hiding from arrest.”

The Lahore High Court on Saturday barred the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz till April 8.