LHC bars NAB from arresting Hamza till 8th

Ag Agencies

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) attempts to arrest Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz failed for a second day on Saturday after the Lahore High Court (LHC) prevented his arrest until Monday (April 8), Geo News reported.

A NAB team, backed by police contingents, Rangers and anti-riot force descended on Shahbaz’s house, a day after NAB failed in their attempts to arrest Hamza. Police had been stationed outside the main gate of the house and contingents of female police officers could also be seen.

After a tense, nearly five-hour standoff, the LHC chief justice restrained NAB from taking the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader into their custody after Hamza’s lawyer filed a separate petition. The judge passed the order after holding a brief hearing in his chambers. A large number of PML-N workers staged a sit-in outside the residence, and there were sporadic clashes between the police and the party activists, who reportedly were preventing the police from advancing on the Sharifs’ entrance.

After NAB officials departed, a defiant Hamza briefly addressed cheering party activist from the roof of the residence. Speaking to Geo News via telephone earlier, Hamza said: “Why should I surrender when the court has provided me legal protection. Lahore High Court has ordered that I be informed 10 days before arrest. NAB should implement the orders of LHC’s division bench.”

He added that nobody challenged the order in the Supreme Court. Hamza continued: “This raid has refreshed memories of October 12.” Additional Director NAB Chaudhry Asghar told reporters: “Hamza should not hide behind workers. The entire Pakistan is watching that a well-known politician is evading arrest.”

The NAB official added: “I do not have any weapon on me and I am not a terrorist. I am here to arrest Hamza as per the law. There are multiple cases against Hamza—he was involved in money laundering and the country is not moving forward but we all can see who is moving ahead.”

Regarding the raid, Punjab chief minister’s spokesman Shahbaz Gill told Geo News: “NAB is independent and not bound to inform us regarding inquiries. The accountability bureau has also arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders.”

Afterwards, PML-N spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb termed the NAB’s attempt to arrest Hamza “state terrorism”. She also said if the NAB is truly an independent institution, why are Gill and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry behaving like its spokespersons?

“NAB is continuing with its state terrorism. According to the Lahore High Court’s decision, NAB cannot arrest Hamza,” she said, questioning where “Hamza’s arrest orders have suddenly appeared from”. “Yesterday while addressing a rally Imran Khan said he will put everyone in jail. This is just a ploy to distract people from the government’s incompetence.”

“This is no law, this is state terrorism to arrest people. Imran Khan is using NAB for state terrorism. First, they used to stand atop containers and do terrorism and now they are standing on opposition’s heads and scaring them,” she asserted.

Meanwhile, a case was registered against Hamza’s guards on an application filed by NAB. The FIR registered in Lahore’s Model Town police station states Hamza’s guards manhandled and threatened NAB team members who raided Shahbaz’s residence a day earlier.

Hamza insists the Bureau’s actions are a violation of court orders. The ruling he is referring to was issued in November by the LHC after Hamza Shahbaz filed a bail petition against his possible arrests in three inquires NAB was conducting against him: Punjab Saaf Pani, Ramzan Sugar Mills and an asset beyond means case. But the NAB officials say a recent Supreme Court order nullifies the order of the lower court.