LHC to hear Hamza's plea for protective bail on April 8

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday fixed the hearing of a petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz seeking protective bail in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case for April 8, ARY News reported.

Headed by Justice Malik Shehzad, a two-judge bench of the high court will be hearing the petition.

Hamza in his petition stated that he, being opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, is being subjected to political vendetta in the name of accountability. The corruption watchdog has become the incumbent government’s tool for arm-twisting of political opponents, he added.

The petitioner contended that the NAB Lahore director general has been making statements against the Sharif family and that the bureau is involved in leaking secret documents to media.

The Ashiana-e-Iqbal, Ramzan Sugar Mill and assets cases have been cooked up against members of the Sharif family, he said and added, “There is no need for NAB to conduct raids to arrest me as I am fully cooperating with it.”

Hamza said the LHC had directed the corruption watchdog to inform it before arresting him but the bureau didn’t implement its orders.

He pleaded to the court to grant him protective bail and restrain NAB from raiding his residence or arresting him.