LAHORE – An accountability court on Thursday ordered for ensuring presenceof opposition leader in National Assembly, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in thecourt on February 18 in connection with Ashiana-e-Iqbal housing casehearing.
Accountability Court Judge Syed Najamul Hassan Bukhari conducted theproceedings, wherein senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad, former directorgeneral Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Ahad Cheema and other accusedwere produced.
As the proceedings commenced, DSP security Azaz Shah submitted that ShehbazSharif was in Islamabad in connection with Public Accounts Committee (PAC)meeting whereas his medical check-up was also scheduled for Thursday, inresponse to a court query.
However, the court expressed dissatisfaction over the reply and askedNational Accountability Bureau prosecutor why Shehbaz Sharif was notproduced.
The prosecutor replied that the police were responsible for producing theaccused in the court and the Bureau had no role in it.
Shehbaz’s counsel submitted that his client was facing backbone issues anddoctors had restrained him from long travel.
Read Top Stories
At this, the court expressed serious annoyance, observing that if theaccused could attend the PAC meetings, why he could not appear in the court.The court ordered for ensuring presence of Shehbaz Sahrif on Feb 18, andadjourned the hearing.
The court also distributed copies of the challan (charge-sheet) among theaccused, observing that indictment would be made on the next hearing.Meanwhile, the court adjourning hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills case till Feb18, directed NAB for filing a reference.
The NAB prosecutor told the court that the reference had been sent to thechairman for approval and it would be filed soon.
