LAHORE: Justice Chaudhry Shahram Sarwar of the Lahore High Court declined to sit in the bench hearing pre-arrest bail petition of leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif into an assets beyond means case, citing his personal relations with Sharif's leading Counsel Azam Nazir Tarar.
Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan has constituted bench comprising Justice Ch Shahram Sarwar and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh to hear NAB related cases during current week of summer vacations. The bench extended Shehbaz Sharif bail till august 17 and referred the case to chief justice for its fixation before another appropriate bench.
Shehbaz Sharif who appeared before the court, stated that last time he appeared before NAB authorities they told him that investigation had been completed, adding that if they still wanted to ask him anything they could do it right now. The petitioner's counsel had argued that the petitioner was arrested on October 5, 2018 in Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and was in custody of the NAB.
He pointed out that the petitioner was thoroughly investigated regarding all his assets and the officials of the respondent bureau could not confront him with any evidence to suggest any nexus of misuse or abuse of office with the amassing of any assets.
He stated that Shehbaz extended full cooperation and furnished whatever information was required by the bureau and his intended arrest at this stage was nothing but sheer mala fide. "Any move to arrest the petitioner at this juncture smacks fide on part of the prosecution.
He further pleaded that the petitioner had been regularly declaring his assets in due course before the authorities concerned. Later talking to the media, Shehbaz Sharif said the incumbent government was using NAB to subject the party to political victimization. He said the Supreme Court verdict in Khawaja brothers' case has exposed its performance and cemented the party's stance.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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