LHC restricts NAB from arresting Hamza Shehbaz until April 8

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has barred the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting Leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz until April 8, Monday.

NAB conducted a second raid on Saturday Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif’s house 96 H, at Model Town, Lahore to arrest Hamza. However, the NAB officials were unsuccessful in their attempt as they were barred from entering.

Following the raid at the PML-N leader's house, Hamza filed a petition in the high court requesting it to bar the bureau from arresting him. The LHC accepted the petition and has fixed the date for April 8 to hear the petition, local media reported. For more than four hours NAB stood outside the residence as Hamza refused to surrender to it.

A large number of PML-N workers are staging a sit-in outside the residence.The police and party workers also clashed as they tried to reach the entrance of residence.

Meanwhile, earlier after NAB's first attempt to arrest the PML-N leader, the federal government approved the names of Hamza, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Punjab Assembly MPA Salman Shehbaz, to be placed on the Exit Control List on NAB’s recommendation.