The Lahore High Court on Tuesday suspended call-up notices of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) issued to two officials of Ramazan Sugar Mills in connection with an ongoing inquiry against Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, his sons Hamza and Salman.
The court also issued notices to NAB for January 21 in a petition of Mills' Chief Financial Officer Muhammad Usman and Company Secretary Tariq Dastagir Khan challenging the call-up notices and also assailed existence of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.
The petitioners' counsel argued that the NAB had been issuing notices to his clients despite submission their replies along with the required documents. He said the NAB also sought assistance of the police to procure their appearance before its investigation team without disclosing specific details of inquiry against them.
The counsel argued that the impugned notices were illegal, invalid and lawful authority. He further argued that the notices were against the process of law as provided under Article 4 of the Constitution.
Questioning the legitimacy of the NAB ordinance, the counsel said the ordinance stood repealed in terms of Article 89 read with Article 270-AA of the Constitution and the fourth schedule thereof, after the promulgation of the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010.
The counsel asked the court to set aside the impugned notices issued to the petitioners and also declare that the NAB ordinance stood repealed and expired.