ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), on Monday, filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against grant of bail to Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on February 24th had granted post-arrest bail to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader in the assets beyond means case.

The NAB has asked the apex court to set aside the LHC verdict, granting bail to the Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly.

The NAB pleaded that the LHC neglected the facts in the case as his case does not pertain to hardship.

“Granting bail to Hamza Shehbaz will create a hindrance in the NAB inquiry,” the plea read, while demanding to cancel the LHC order.

Hamza Shehbaz grounds for bail are not of hardships.

A two-judge bench of the high court directed him to furnish two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each to secure the bail. The court had ordered that Hamza be set free, if he is not required to be detained in any other case.

The court had approved his bail after hearing arguments of his lawyers and the NAB prosecutor.

The prosecutor requested the high court to dismiss the PML-N MPA’s bail stating he amassed more assets than his sources of income justified besides being involved in money laundering.

He added Hamza Shehbaz Sharif’s was not an ordinary case.

Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar and Amjad Pervez appeared before the court on behalf of Hamza Shehbaz, stating that their client was arrested in the assets beyond means and money laundering case on June 11, 2019.

The corruption watchdog filed the reference in the case after 14 months since his arrest while he was indicted 16 months later, they added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021