LHC releases detailed verdict on Shehbaz Sharif’s bail cases

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday released a detailed verdict on two cases in which Shehbaz Sharif was released on bail last week, ARY News reported.

The opposition leader in the National Assembly, Sharif, was bailed out by the LHC in cases of Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana Housing society on February 14.

The court released 22-page verdict in the Ashiana Housing scandal and a 20-page decision on the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

In its detailed verdict, the court said a board of Punjab Land Development Authority was behind transferring a project contract to Lahore Development Authority. However, the NAB had claimed the former chief minister had misused his authority to transfer the project.

The court said no charge of financial irregularity was imposed on Shehbaz in the Ashiana case.

Similarly, the former CM has also not been accused of any financial irregularity in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

According to court, the NAB had raised objection only on one project regarding construction of a drain line and it was constructed on plea of MPA Rehmatullah. “The NAB, instead of investigating the role of MPA, made him a witness,” the court stated.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Malik Shahzad and Justice Mirza Waqas had approved the bail petition filed by Shehbaz Sharif on Feb 14. The court observed that Shehbaz Sharif never remained Chief Executive of the mills and granted bail to him in two graft cases of Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana Housing Scheme.