Hamza sent to jail on judicial remand in Ramzan Sugar Mills case

LAHORE: Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz has been sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case, ARY News reported on Friday.

The hearing was presided over by accountability court Judge Arshad Naeem, Shehbaz Sharif was also present in the courtroom during the hearing.

The accountability court judge asked the bureau why they wanted further physical remand of the PML-N leader, to which the prosecutor responded that two suspects in the case had not appeared before the bureau.

NAB prosecutor said that the bureau had called various suspects in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case but they had not appeared before the bureau.

Hamza’s lawyer also presented his arguments in the court and said that NAB had previously made the same request for physical remand. He asked why there was a need for physical remand if a reference had been filed in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

He said Ramzan Sugar Mill employee Javed Iqbal was cooperating with NAB and had also appeared before the accountability bureau.

Read more: NAB files Ramzan Sugar Mills reference against Shehbaz, Hamza

The court after hearing arguments from both sides sent Hamza Shehbaz on 14-day judicial remand rejecting the NAB’s plea to hand him over on physical remand.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a reference, accusing the former Punjab chief minister, Hamza Shehbaz and others for causing loss to the national exchequer and misusing his authority by sanctioning construction of a bridge to facilitate his sugar mill.