Shehbaz Sharif, daughter appear before NAB court in Ramzan Sugar Mills case

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif and his daughter Javeria have appeared before an accountability court in Lahore in Ramzan Sugar Mills case, ARY News reported on Thursday.

An accountability court’s administrative judge Jawadul Hassan conducted the hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills case today. However, Shehbaz Sharif’s son Hamza Shehbaz did not appear in the hearing due to illness. The accountability court approved Hamza’s exemption plea and extended his judicial remand till October 1.

Shehbaz Sharif appeared at the court’s rostrum and said that he had saved billions of funds belonging to the people of Punjab during his 10-year tenure without taking any benefit for him and his family businesses.

Read: AC indicts Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz in Ramzan Sugar Mills case

He continued that Sindh government had reduced the rates of sugarcane but the decision was not followed by the Punjab authorities. Sindh High Court (SHC) had set the rates of sugarcane up to Rs172 per 40 kilograms besides ordering to provide Rs11 subsidy.

He added that he had faced pressure from the family for reducing the rates and provision of subsidy, however, he had neither cut the prices nor approved subsidy which resulted into financial loss to the sugar mills belonging to his family.

Sharif told the court that he was also facing allegations of possessing benami properties. The PML-N president said that if he was possessing undeclared properties then why would he generate losses to it.

To this, the judge remarked that he will be given a chance for his defence in money laundering case.

Read: Court summons Shehbaz, Hamza Shehbaz in Ramzan Sugar Mills case

Shehbaz Sharif said that his daughter was currently sitting in the car. The judge remarked that it is necessary to appear in the courtroom for confirming the accused person’s attendance. Sharif’s daughter Javeria also arrived in the courtroom after the judge asked Shehbaz to ask her daughter for appearing in the courtroom.

The judge permitted Shehbaz Sharif and her daughter to leave the courtroom and directed to distribute assets beyond income reference’s copies among the accused persons.

Later, the accountability court adjourned the hearing till September 14.