The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a petition of PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz seeking bail in an assets beyond means case.

Two-judge bench headed by Justice Sarfraz Dogar, after the hearing, issued a notice to the accountability watchdog to file its response to the bail petition by next hearing on February 17.

Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar and Amjad Pervez appeared before the court on behalf of Hamza, who is also the leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly.

They stated that their client was arrested in the assets beyond means and money laundering case on June 11, 2019. The bureau filed the reference in the case after fourteen months since his arrest while he was indicted after 16 months, they added.

According to them, 16 people have been named accused in the case while eleven of them are being tried.

All accused have their own counsels to defend them, which means the trial is unlikely to conclude any time soon, they argued.