LAHORE – An anti-corruption court on Thursday acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in Ramzan sugar mills case.
Judge Sardar Muhammad Iqbal Dogar announced the verdict, which was reserved on February 3, on acquittal petitions filed by the father-son duo in the case.
At previous hearing, Prosecutor Mian Waseem told court that the complainant in the case had backtracked from his earlier statement. He further informed that former MPA Rehmat Ali, on whose request the waste water drain was constructed, had also passed away.
The prosecutor asked the court to review the case record and decide the acquittal pleas of the suspects accordingly.
Defence counsel Amjad Pervez also presented his arguments, stating that the then chief minister had not issued any directives for building the drain, but it was approved by the provincial cabinet as a development scheme.
On Oct 17, an accountability court had transferred the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference to the anti-corruption court for lack of jurisdiction after amendments were approved to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.
The NAB had filed the reference in 2018 and alleged that Shehbaz Sharif, being the chief minister, and his son Hamza, with the abetment of each other, had caused a loss of Rs213 million to the national kitty.
More to follow…
