Assets beyond means case: Hamza Shahbaz to appear before NAB today

F.P. Report

LAHORE: Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz will appear before National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in assets beyond income case on Wednesday (today).

According to details, NAB is investigating a case against Hamza Shahbaz in assets beyond known source of income and twice made efforts to arrest Hamza Sharif but failed to do so. Hamza Shahbaz has been granted pre-arrest bail from the Lahore High Court in this case.

Yesterday, a two-member bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) forwarded the case to the chief justice of LHC after the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz distrusted the bench hearing his pre-arrest bail applications in three cases.

In this regard, Hamza has filed an application with the court to change the bench.

Meanwhile, jurors have excused themselves from hearing the applications, and Hamza’s bail has been extended for an unspecified period of time.

When the matter was disclosed, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters started chanting full-throat slogans in favour of Hamza.

The bench had been hearing applications for extension in his pre-arrest bail in Ramzan Sugar Mills, Punjab Saaf Pani Company and assets beyond means cases.

Police ensured strict security arrangements outside the judicial complex and the adjoining roads were blocked for routine traffic. The litigant public was also denied entry to the complex.

On May 22, the court had extended Hamza’s pre-arrest bail till May 28 in the same cases.

On May 8, the court extended his bail till May 22 when his counsel pointed out that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had not given them reasons for his arrest and the documents showing approval of the inquiries by the competent authority.

Contrarily, the NAB prosecutor told the bench that some documents were furnished to the petitioner; however, a report of the Financial Monitoring Unit could not be handed over to him as it was protected under the anti-money laundering law.