Money laundering case: Hamza Shahbaz files bail plea in SC

LAHORE (92 News) – Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz on Friday filed a bail plea in the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan. The bail petition was filed in the money laundering case and assets beyond means of income case being pursued against the politician. Advocate Amjad Pervez and Azam Nazeer Tarrar filed the petition for bail in the Lahore registry of the apex court on Friday morning. Top National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials, including NAB chief Javed Iqbal and a director-general at the bureau, have been named in the petition. On the other hand, earlier the NAB has challenged the bail of Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz in the Supreme Court (SC) in Ramzan Sugar Mills case. The NAB moved in SC for cancellation of Hamza Shahbaz’s bail in Ramzan Sugar Mills case. In the petition, the watchdog body has stated that Lahore High Court (LHC) didn’t review the facts carefully and granted bail to Hamza Shahbaz. It also mentioned that the PML-N leader’s bail plea was inadmissible. NAB has further stated that case trial will get affected due to the bail of Hamza Shahbaz. On feb 6, the LHC granted bail to Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz in the Ramazan Sugar Mills case. A bench comprising Justice Syed Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz heard bail plea of Hamza Shahbaz. During the hearing, the court asked from the national Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor that how many total directors in Ramazan Sugar Mills. “You have no answer of the court’s questions,” the court remarked. To reply, the NAB prosecutor said that there are seven directors of Ramazan Sugar Mills but not everyone is named at the moment but Hamza Shahbaz is the CEO of Ramazan Sugar Mills. “It appears that you have not touched the file of the case,” the court remarked. After the hearing, the court granted bail to Hamza Shahbaz in Ramazan Sugar Mills reference.