Daily Times

An accountability court on Tuesday accepted a plea of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif seeking exemption from personal appearance.

Justice Najamul Hasan presided over the hearing pertaining to Ashiana Iqbal and Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

During the proceedings, the judge expressed his annoyance over the absence of the opposition leader and inquired how he went abroad without permission.

The counsel replied by saying that Shehbaz Sharif’s name was removed from the Exit Control List (ECL) on the orders of the high court. “Whether the permission of this court was not necessary to go abroad?” the court questioned.

“Legally, no court permission is required by any accused for going out of the country,” the counsel replied.

The counsel for Shehbaz Sharif had pleaded for three weeks’ exemption for his client from appearing in Ramzan Sugar Mills case. He said the opposition leader would undergo medical check-up until May 8.

Shehbaz Sharif’s son and Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz is also a co-accused in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

In the previous hearing, both Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz were indicted in the reference and the court had summoned witnesses to record their statements in the case on Tuesday.

Both of them had pleaded not guilty to the charges framed against them, which involved the misuse of authority and illegal use of public funds.