LHC dismisses Hamza Shehbaz bail plea in assets beyond means case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz in assets beyond means case, ARY News reported.

A two-member bench of LHC comprising Justice Syed Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem heard the case.

During the hearing, the Hamza’s counsel told the court that arrest warrants of PML-N leader were issued in April 2019 and he received gifts of worth Rs108 million from 2013 to 2017.

Shehbaz Sharif, Salman Shehbaz and his sister. The NAB allegations are baseless and has nothing to do with the gifts he received from his family members, said Hamza’s layer Salman Butt.

He said PML-N leader was kept in custody for 189 days and no reference was filed against him. The investigators had neglected section 18 of NAB Ordinance at the time of launching a probe into money laundering case, he added.

At which, Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi said that the court is not satisfied with assets details of Hamza Shehbaz.

“We have to now look over the asset details of Hamza’s father, brother and sister as the son received gifts from them,” remarked LHC judge.

It must be noted that the NAB had arrested PML-N leader in the assets beyond income case on June 11, 2019, after LHC had turned down his applications for extension in interim bail.

Ramza Sugar Mills case

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Feb 6 granted bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif in Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

The two-member bench of the LHC headed by Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi resumed the hearing of PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz’s bail application in Ramza Sugar Mills case.

As the hearing went underway, the LHC judge irked over NAB prosecutor after he failed to tell the court about names of the directors working in Ramzan Sugar Mills.

“Its look like that NAB has not even bothered to touch the file of Ramzan Sugar Mills case. Can you tell us why the bureau had taken back its appeal against Shehbaz Sharif’s bail?” he asked NAB prosecutor.

On December 17 last year, the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz had filed a petition for his release on bail in Lahore High Court (LHC) in Ramzan Sugar Mills reference.