Plea in LHC seeks release of Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE: An application has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking release of its president and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif.

According to the petition, filed by Lawyers Foundation, Shehbaz Sharif was arrested without proof as it was contrary to the constitutional values.

Shehbaz Sharif was taken into custody with incomplete proofs and without charges against him proved, it added. The plea said free and fair trial under the Constitution was the right of every citizen, adding that Sharif was called for an interrogation and the NAB’s decision to detain him was contrary to constitutional rights of a citizen.

The petitioner requested the court to declare order of Shehbaz’s arrest as void and set him free.

On Oct 5, Shehbaz Sharif was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Rs 14 billion Ashiana housing society case.

The PML-N president was served summons many a times and he appeared on Oct 5 to record his statement where he was taken into custody by NAB officials.

Shahbaz’s blue-eyed officers, Lahore Development Authority former director general Ahad Cheema and Fawad Hasan Fawad, are already in NAB custody in the same case.

Fawad Hasan Fawad, former principal secretary to ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in his statement before NAB in August claimed that he had awarded a contract to a “favourite firm” in the Rs14bn Ashiana Housing project on Shahbaz’s behest.

According to NAB, “the contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons but former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and his aides awarded the Rs 14 billion contract to Lahore Casa Developers – a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is said to be owned by Railways Minister Saad Rafique”.