Ramzan Sugar Mills case: Court indicts Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz

LAHORE (92 News) - An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday indicted Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz in Ramzan Sugar Mills case. Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz appeared before court on Thursday. During the hearing, both accused pleaded not guilty to all charges read out by Accountability Judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhry, terming them baseless. Shehbaz Sharif told the AC judge that he is being dragged into fake case as he has always worked with honesty. "I served the people of Punjab for 12 years and didn’t take salary and even money for petrol during the 12-year tenure,” he told court. The court has summoned NAB’s witnesses in the case at the next hearing on August 27. The NAB has filed a reference accusing Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz and others for causing losses to the national exchequer and misusing authority by sanctioning construction of a bridge to facilitate the sugar mills. NAB officials say Shehbaz Sharif, being chief minister of Punjab, misused his authority by issuing directives for the construction of a 10-kilometer-long drain in Chiniot primarily to benefit the sugar mill owned by his sons. Shehbaz and Hamza have been accused of fraudulently causing a Rs213 million loss to the national exchequer. On the other hand, the NAB Lahore also summoned PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, daughter for former premier Nawaz Sharif, for illegally naming 200 kanal land herself on August 11.