Court grants seven-day transit remand of Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE: The accountability court on Thursday allowed seven-day transit remand of former chief minister Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, so he could attend the session of the National Assembly, ARY News reported.

Asad Qaisar, Speaker National Assembly, had sent a production order to the National Accountability Bureau seeking participation of the Opposition Leader in NA Shehbaz Sharif during the session on Friday.

Accountability court judge Syed Najmul Hassan asked Sharif the duration of the NA session, to which, he responded that he had no idea because he didn’t have any facility of newspapers or television to ‘stay updated’.

He, however, told the court that he wasn’t allowed to meet his family despite the court orders for such meeting once a week.

The prosecution lawyer claimed that he didn’t receive any application from Sharif regarding meeting with the family.

“Did your family members come to meet here? … if not, how could a meeting be held,” the judge questioned the former CM Punjab.

Shehbaz Sharif responded that he was getting an inhumane treatment. “My physical remand was extended two times”, he moaned.

He said the prosecution could not prove any charges against him.

The court ordered the authorities to arrange medical facilities for Shehbaz Sharif as well as his meeting with his family members.

This is the third time NAB is requesting for the PML-N president’s transit remand. On November 10, Shahbaz’s physical remand was extended until Nov 24. Earlier, on November 6, an accountability court in Islamabad had extended his transit remand until Nov 10.

The National Accountability Bureau had arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president, Shehbaz Sharif, in Rs 14 billion Ashiana housing society case on Oct 5.

The PML-N president was served summons many a times in the case and the day he appeared to record his statement before the court, he was taken into custody by NAB officials.

Fawad Hasan Fawad, former principal secretary to ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in his statement before NAB in August claimed that he had awarded a contract to a “favourite firm” in the Rs14bn Ashiana Housing project on Shahbaz’s behest.

According to NAB, “the contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons but former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and his aides awarded the Rs 14 billion contract to Lahore Casa Developers – a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is said to be owned by Railways Minister Saad Rafique”.