SC adjourns hearing on Hamza’s bail plea

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday adjourned for date-in-office (indefinite period) the hearing on the bail application of Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz and sought complete record from the Accountability Court Lahore regarding the pending cases there.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Yahya Afridi heard a petition of Hamza Shahbaz, seeking post-arrest bail in a case pertaining to money-laundering and assets beyond means of income. The court directed the NAB to submit the complete record of the cases pending with the Accountability Court Lahore besides stating the status of cases against Hamza.

Amjad Pervez, counsel for Hamza, submitted that his client was arrested on June 11, 2019 while a reference was filed against him in August 2020. Similarly, the counsel informed the court that his client was indicted on November 11, 2020. He contended that out of 110 witnesses, the anti-graft body has so far recorded statements of only three. Justice Mushir Alam observed that the case is related to 23 fake accounts and asked the counsel whether he wants his client to be given a chance to submit his reply in this regard.

Justice Yahya Afridi asked Imranul Haq, additional prosecutor, as to how much time he will require to record statements of the remaining witnesses to which he replied six months.

Hamza Shahbaz had approached the Supreme Court for post-arrest bail in a money-laundering/illegal assets reference made by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The Lahore High Court had in February last denied bail to Hamza in the money-laundering case, but granted bail to him in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. Later, he also sought bail on the ground of being vulnerable to coronavirus in the jail. However, the LHC did not agree with that ground and Hamza’s counsel withdrew the petition only to seek bail from the SC on merit.