Shehbaz granted exemption from personal appearance in sugar mills case

LAHORE: An accountability court on Monday granted Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s plea for an exemption from personal appearance in today’s hearing of the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Accountability Judge Najamul Hassan Bukhari was on leave due to which duty judge Wasim Akhtar heard the case.

Hamza Shehbaz, leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, turned up before the court. Shehbaz, who is out of the country, submitted an application through his lawyer requesting an exemption from personal appearance in today’s hearing.

The judge granted exemption to the PML-N President and adjourned the hearing till May 11.

Earlier, on April 9, an accountability court in Lahore had indicted Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference.

The father-son duo is currently on bail in the reference. Both were awarded bails by the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The NAB has filed a reference accusing former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz and others for causing losses to the national exchequer and misusing authority by sanctioning construction of a bridge to facilitate the sugar mills.

NAB officials say Shahbaz Sharif, being chief minister of Punjab, misused his authority by issuing directives for the construction of a 10-kilometre-long drain in Chiniot primarily to benefit the sugar mills owned by his sons. Shahbaz and Hamza have been accused of fraudulently causing a Rs 213 million loss to the national exchequer.