LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday indicted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz in Ramzan Sugar Mills case.
The father-son duo, however, pleaded not guilty as they appeared before the court in Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana Housing Scheme case.
On Monday, LHC granted pre-arrest bail to Hamza Shehbaz till April 17, and restrained the accountability watchdog from arresting him in cases pertaining to illegal assets. The bail was granted on submission of surety bonds worth Rs10 million.
A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team seeking Hamza’s arrest was embroiled in a nearly five-hour-long standoff with his private security and supporters at his family’s Model Town residence on Saturday. It was the second day in a row that the NAB had approached Hamza’s residence for his arrest. The stalemate ended once the LHC restrained the bureau from arresting the MPA and granted him protective bail until April 8.
Hamza was represented by Advocate Amjad Pervez before the two-judge bench. A team of the bureau’s legal experts were also in the courtroom.
NAB has filed a reference alleging that the former Punjab chief minister caused loss to the national exchequer and misused his authority by sanctioning construction of a bridge to facilitate his sugar mill.