ISLAMABAD – An accountability court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of
Ramzan Sugar Mills case till August 9.
Duty Judge Muhammad Waseem Akhtar conducted the proceedings wherein opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz was produced on expiry of his judicial remand.
Opposition leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel, in response to a court query, submitted that his client was busy in Islamabad in connection with Senate session.
He pleaded with the court to accept exemption application of Shehbaz Sharif for today.
With the permission of the court, Hamza Shehbaz also spoke in his defence and submitted that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had leveled corruption allegations against him but it should also prove those.
He submitted that if allegations were proved against him, he would apologize from the court and the nation.
Subsequently, the court adjourned further proceedings till August 9 while extending judicial remand of Hamza Shehbaz. The court also allowed exemption application of Shehbaz Sharif.
The NAB alleged that Shehbaz Sharif, then chief minister of Punjab, approved construction of a drain in Chiniot with the cost of Rs 360 million only to benefit Ramzan Sugar Mills, owned by his sons Hamza and Salman.
It said the approval of the construction was given on a fake application filed by the then MPA Maulana Rehmatullah, showing the drain as a public project. NAB said public funds were misused for the benefit of family business of the
suspects.
