NAB reopens Ramzan Sugar Mills reference against Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has reopened Ramzan Sugar Mills reference against PML-N president and former premier Shehbaz Sharif, ARY News reported on Friday.

The anti-corruption watchdog sent back 116 corruption references against prominent personalities to the accountability courts in Lahore including Ramzan Sugar Mills case against Shehbaz Sharif.

Moreover, the Paragon case against Khawaja brothers was also referred to the accountability court. The NAB also submitted records of Chiniot Mines case against Sibtain Khan and Punjab University (PU) corruption case to the courts.

The other reopened cases including Gujrat police corruption case, Punjab Youth Festival irregularities, a corruption case against former PML-N leader Ahmed Malik’s son Yousuf Ahad, references against housing societies, stock market, fraud and misuse of power by government officers.

Nawaz, Shehbaz cases

Earlier, it emerged that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is likely to reopen cases against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif after the Supreme Court (SC) verdict.

According to sources, the NAB will reopen the Ramzan sugar mill case against the former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and the plot allotment case against the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Sources said that NAB will also reopen the cases against other political bigwigs and bureaucracy including Rana Mashhood, and former VC Punjab University Mujahid Kamran.

The Paragon Housing Society case against former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Salman Rafiq and the misuse of powers case against the Ex-Speaker Punjab assembly Sabtain Khan is also expected to reopen.

Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sent back references against politicians to accountability courts after Supreme Court struck down some sections of the amendments made to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) last year.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Supreme Court ordered restoration of corruption cases against public representatives as it struck down some sections of the amendments made to the country’s accountability laws last year by the previous coalition government.

In a majority 2-1 verdict, the top court approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s petition challenging amendments made to the country’s accountability laws.

Former CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan declared Imran’s plea to be maintainable while Justice Shah disagreed with the verdict.

Following the verdict, the references against some of the country’s political bigwigs will once again land in the accountability courts.

These include the Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, LNG reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, rental power reference against former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and assets beyond means case against former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

In June 2022, the former premier moved the apex court against amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022.