Daily Times

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday adjourned hearing of the bail petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) politician and Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz till January 13.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi took up the petition in which National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal and NAB Lahore Director General Shahzad Saleem have been made respondents. The bench remarked that Hamza had expressed lack of confidence in the bench for a pre-arrest bail. To this, Hamza’s counsel advocate Amjad Pervez said that his client had given him directives and he had full confidence in the bench.

On Tuesday, Pervez had filed a petition in the court on behalf of Hamza seeking his bail in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. He was arrested by the NAB Lahore on June 11 in Ramzan Sugar Mills, and money laundering and assets beyond means cases after the LHC had turned down his applications for extension in interim bail.

On Dec 10, an accountability court had allowed the accountability watchdog to interrogate Hamza in the money laundering charges against him in the jail.

The accountability watchdog has been investigating into money laundering accusations against Hamza, and new evidence was found in the case after the arrest of Nisar Gul.

On Nov. 28, the court had extended Hamza Shahbaz’s judicial remand for another 14 days. The court had ordered the NAB prosecutor to file reference of the money laundering case.

On April 9, the court had indicted Hamza and his father Shehbaz in the same case.

However, both accused had denied the charges against them, and maintained that they had saved Rs2,300 billion, assuring that the money was not misused.

In the hearing on June 11, Salman Butt, the defense counsel for Hamza, had argued that according to the NAB ordinance, the bureau could not issue arrest warrants unless an inquiry over the matter was completed. To which, Justice Naqvi had remarked that the judgment would be done according to the constitution, and justice would be ensured.

Moreover, the prosecutor had submitted complete details of assets of Shahbaz Sharif’s family members in the court with an argument that their assets were beyond their known sources of income.

“Billions of rupees were added to the assets of Shehbaz’s family, whereas Hamza couldn’t provide details of the sources of his income,” he added.

The bench was further told by the NAB that in the year 2018, his assets were found to be worth Rs410 million, whereas he could not prove assets worth Rs380 million, and the money was laundered to Dubai and England, and 40 individuals were involved in the money laundering.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party’s leader Syed Khursheed Shah was released from NAB detention of three months on Wednesday after accountability court granted him bail on Tuesday in assets beyond means reference.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has challenged the decision of his release in Sindh High Court.

Shah could not be released Tuesday as his release orders were not issued due to end of the working hours of court. As the accountability court judge Ameer Ali Mahesar went on leave today, Khursheed Shah reached the District and Sessions Judge Sukkur’s court in an ambulance to submit surety bond of a bail amount of Rs five million. The court issued release order of Shah after he deposited the surety bond.

It is to be mentioned here that the PPP leader has been admitted at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Sukkur due to heart ailment.

Khursheed Shah talking to media here said that he had cooperated in the NAB inquiry and will continue to do so in future. He said he will fight his case with legal means.

Moreover, the NAB has challenged release of Khursheed Shah on bail by the accountability court Sukkur in assets case in the Sindh High Court.

The Bureau in its petition termed the decision of the court as unlawful and pleaded the high court to declare the decision as void.

The accountability court yesterday granted bail to Shah after NAB failed to file reference against him after a detention period of 90 days.

The accountability bureau had pleaded to the court for extension of judicial remand for 15 days but the court while denying its plea granted bail to the PPP leader.

Also, the NAB Rawalpindi on Wednesday recorded Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif’s initial statement in assets case.

The NAB handed over a questionnaire to the PML-N leader who appeared before the anti-graft body at its office in Rawalpindi.

It has been learnt that the anti-corruption watchdog asked Khawaja Asif regarding his assets and sources of income. The PML-N leader has also been directed by the bureau to submit the assets record of his family.