Shehbaz Sharif skips NAB court appearance

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday skipped appearing before Lahore’s accountability court in a case related to Ashiana Iqbal Housing scam case, reported ARY News.

Accountability Judge Najmul Hasan heard the case, in which Shehbaz’s counsel filed a plea on behalf of his client to grant today’s exemption from court’s appearance.

“My client is not well owing to back pain and doctors have advised him to take a week-long rest”, the counsel said in his plea.

However, the co-accused Fawad Hassan Fawad and Ahad Cheema were presented before the court.

The court later adjourned the hearing of the case till July 24 by summoning more witnesses in the case.

Shehbaz Sharif and other accused were indicted in the case on February 18, by an accountability court in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing scandal.

The judge had framed charges against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and other accused during the hearing.

However, Shehbaz Sharif and other accused had denied the charges and termed the reference filed against him ‘false’.

In Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme, Shehbaz Sharif is facing charges of misusing his authority to illegally issue directives for cancellation of the contract with regard to the housing project in 2014, causing Rs715m loss to the exchequer, the reference reads.