LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit its arguments in the bail application of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and adjourned the hearing until Thursday (tomorrow).
A three-judge bench of the LHC was hearing the bail petition. Azam Nazir Tarar, counsel for Shehbaz Sharif, on Wednesday prayed to the LHC to order the release of his client on bail.
Tarar said of total 110 witnesses, statements of only 10 witnesses had been recorded so far, and that judge in the case had been transferred as well. “Therefore, the case may not drag on for long,” he conjectured. During the proceedings headed by Justice Ali Baqir Najfi, Azam Tarar said that his client got bail as per the law.
Justice Ali Baqir Najfi said that it’s a lesson for you. You should believe the decision after receiving its verified copy. It’s the duty of lawyer to avoid telling anything to his client before the release of written verdict, he remarked.
The PML-N leader’s counsel appealed the bench to look into the decisions submitted by both judges over which, Justice Ali Baqir remarked that we need to first see all the facts of the case after which, we will decide about granting bail to Shehbaz Sharif.
Earlier, a three-member bench of the LHC asked the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) lawyer to give his arguments in the case. The court then adjourned the hearing in the case until tomorrow (April 22).
Another bad news for PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif as a court in Lahore on Wednesday declared four accused in a money laundering case, including Shehbaz’s son Suleman Shehbaz, Proclaimed Offenders (POs).
All the four are accused of laundering Rs25 billion through Ramzan Sugar Mills and Al-Arabia Mills.Judicial Magistrate Zulfiqar Bari declared CEO Mills Malik Maqsood Ahmed, Syed Muhammad Tahir Naqvi and Muzammil Raza besides Hamza Shehbaz, and asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit a report on the next hearing.
The FIA had prayed to the court that since the accused had not appeared even once despite the fact that they were summoned several times and their bailable and non-bailable arrest warrants were issued as well, they be declared proclaimed offenders. The case’s hearing was then adjourned until May 20. = DNA
