LHC bars NAB from arresting Hamza Shehbaz till Monday

F.P. Report

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Saturday has barred the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting Hamza Shehbaz till Monday.

The LHC orders came as the NAB along with large contingent of police surrounded Model Town residence of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif in order to arrest his son.

It was the second NAB raid in less than 24 hours.

Local news channel reported that the police were accompanying the NAB team which said it come with full preparation to arrest Hamaza Shehbaz.

Additional Director NAB Chaudhry Asghar told the media that he has brought an arrest warrants for Hamza, asking the PML-N leader to surrender.

“We will not leave with arresting Hamza Shehbaz,” he said.

Asked about the allegations against Hamza Shehbaz , he said the PMLN leader was facing charges of money laundering and cases of assets beyond known sources of income.

A large number of PML-N workers were also gathering outside the residence of Sharif family to show solidarity with party leaders.

There were also fears of clash between the PML-N workers and police.

Malik Ahmed Khan said the NAB action was politically motivated and illegal.

He said Hamza Shehbaz had cooperated with investigators but the NAB was presenting an incorrect interpretation of Supreme Court orders.

Responding to a question regarding prospects of clash between police and PML-N workers, he said the party workers have been requested to avoid confrontation.

Earlier on Friday, the NAB accused PML-N leader’s security guards of manhandling its team which had gone to arrest Hamza Shehbaz.

On Friday, NAB had raided the residence in order to arrest his son Hamza Shehbaz.

The NAB has filed an application with Model Town police station for registration of a case against PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz’s security guards and others.

NAB’s van driver Mumtaz Hussain filed the application wherein security guards were nominated. The complainant alleged that the accused interfered in the official duties and tortured the officials.

The complainant had submitted that the NAB team reached at Hamza Shahbaz’s residence in Model Town and showed his arrest warrants to the security guards including Abdul Rehman, Shahbaz Khan and Muhammad Saleem.

He stated that the said security guards along with six other unknown security guards attacked the bureau team and tortured van driver, Mumtaz Hussain, and tore his clothes besides giving threats of dire consequences.

Meanwhile, 15 to 20 PML-N workers also reached the scene and started raising slogans, he said, adding that the workers pushed the NAB officials and asked them to leave.

LAHORE: Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz has challenged National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raid at the Shehbaz Sharif residence at Model Town, in the Lahore High Court (LHC), on Saturday.

According to reports, Hamza Shehbaz in his petition said, “The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) unlawfully conducted a raid at the residence.”

Hamza requested the LHC to immediately cancel the arrest warrants issued against him. NAB should be probed for contempt of court, the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly said.

A day earlier, NAB conducted a raid at Shehbaz’s residence to arrest Hamza. A press release by NAB said a team had gone to the residence to arrest Hamza on the basis of evidence against him in the assets beyond means and alleged money laundering case. The press release added that NAB officials were manhandled by Hamza’s guards, their clothes were torn and death threats were given.

“NAB officials had gone to the residence with an arrest warrant and the Supreme Court had stated that the accountability bureau did not require to inform any accused prior to arresting them,” read the press release. The press release added that Hamza had violated the law and the bureau on the basis of evidence against and in light of Supreme Court directives would arrest him.