PM Shehbaz, Hamza acquitted in Ramzan Sugar Mills reference

F.P. Report

LAHORE: An anti-corruption court in Lahore has acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference.

Accepting Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza’s pleas for burial on Thursday, ATC Judge Sardar Muhammad Iqbal Dogar declared that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against both.

The court had reserved the verdict a couple of days ago after hearing the arguments from both sides.

During the last hearing, defense lawyer Amjad Pervez had argued that the construction of the drainage channel in question to allegedly benefit the sugar mills was not ordered by then-chief minister Shehbaz Sharif but was green-signalled by the Punjab cabinet for the betterment of the area.

He further contended that the case against Shehbaz and Hamza was politically motivated.

On the other hand, anti-corruption prosecutor Mian Waseem stated that, in his view, the construction of the drain was justified. He also highlighted that the complainant in the case had retracted, claiming that he had never filed the initial complaint.

The prosecution further asserted that the drain was built on the request of the late MPA Rahmat Ali, urging the court to make a decision on the acquittal request after reviewing the case records.

The Ramzan Sugar Mills case was shifted to anti-corruption team after amendments in the NAB laws.

In the mills’ reference, the NAB had arrested Shehbaz Sharif on October 5, 2018, and the Lahore High Court released him on bail on February 14, 2019.

The NAB alleged that Mr Shehbaz Sharif being chief minister and his son Hamza with the abetment and connivance of each other caused a loss of Rs213 million to the national exchequer by committing the offence of misuse of authority.

It said Mr Shehbaz Sharif had issued a directive for the construction of the drain in Chiniot district primarily for the use of Ramzan Sugar Mills owned by his sons – Hamza and Suleman.