Shahbaz indicted in sugar mills supplementary reference

By News Desk

LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday indicted Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz — who leads opposition lawmakers in Punjab — in the Ramzan Sugar Mills supplementary case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. The NAB claims a drain was constructed out of public money in Chiniot to allegedly facilitate the Ramzan Sugar Mills when Shahbaz was Punjab’s chief minister. Co-accused Hamza was the chief executive of mill.

Accountability Court Judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry conducted the case proceedings, wherein Shahbaz Sharif, along with his counsel, Amjad Parvaiz, appeared at the start. Parvaiz requested the court to allow Shahbaz to leave as a joint session of Parliament had been summoned and his client wanted to participate in it.

A jail official told the court in response to a query that Hamza Shahbaz was on the way, and he would be produced before the court shortly.

Shahbaz said he appeared in compliance of court orders and wanted to go to Islamabad to attend the Parliament session. The court told Shahbaz that his counsel wanted to submit arguments before the indictment.

The court observed that after the indictment, Shahbaz could leave and his counsel could advance arguments. The court observed that the accused had already been indicted in the main reference, and now he (Shahbaz) would be indicted in the supplementary reference as well.

The judge questioned Shahbaz’s counsel over the argument that the present indictment proceedings were baseless when no objection was raised on indictment of his client in the main reference. Amjad Parvaiz had contended that the allegation of construction of a drain Mills was baseless.

He argued that the construction of the drain was approved by the cabinet and provincial assembly. However, the court noted that it was ready to listen to his arguments for 10 hours, adding that the matter was pending for the past six months and indictment should take place.

At this, Hamza Shahbaz’s counsel requested the court for granting an opportunity for preparation and adjourning the case. To which, the court observed that no legal right of the accused would be affected after the indictment.

The NAB prosecutor alleged that Hamza Shahbaz was chief executive of the mill, and he had made the then MPA Maulana Rehmatullah move an application for construction of the drain, thus causing a loss to the national exchequer.

He alleged that the government bodies used public funds to appease Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz. He said the law did not allow the public representatives “to exceed their jurisdiction”.

He said Hamza caused loss to the national exchequer and allegedly benefitted from construction of the drain.

However, Advocate Amjad Parvaiz argued that the indictment could not take place in the absence of people who were part of the inquiry. To which, the prosecutor indictment proceedings could not be stopped due to the absence of someone, citing the National Accountability Ordinance.

Subsequently, the court indicted Shahbaz and Hamza after jail authorities produced the latter in court. Both denied charges levelled by NAB in the supplementary reference and contended to contest them.

At this, the court summoned the prosecution witnesses to testify and adjourned further proceedings till August 27.

Strict security arrangements were made on the occasion and a heavy police contingent was placed around the judicial complex.