Assets case: LHC extends Shehbaz interim bail till July 16
Shares
ISLAMABAD-The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted one-time exemption from personal appearance to Opposition Leader in National Assembly Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and extended his interim bail in assets beyond means and money laundering case till July 16.
A division bench, headed by Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem, passed the orders while hearing a pre-arrest bail petition by Shehbaz Sharif in the case.
At the start of proceedings, petitioner's counsel Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar submitted that an application had been filed for exemption of Shehbaz Sharif from personal appearance for Tuesday. The bench questioned that why Shehbaz Sharif did not appear whereas now he had been tested negative for COVID-19.
The counsel stated that Shehbaz Sharif had not fully recovered from the virus. He submitted that as per medical experts, a patient was declared recovered if he was tested negative twice.
The bench noted that National Accountability Bureau had, on the previous hearing, offered to exempt Shehbaz Sharif and conclude hearing on the bail petition.
Responding to the court observation, Azam Nazir Tarar submitted that he would have completed his arguments, had he been sure that the interim bail would be confirmed. He questioned that if the petition was adjourned for three weeks, whether it would cause "an irreversible damage" to the bureau. He pleaded with the court to exempt his client for today and extend interim bail for three weeks. He submitted that he would be satisfied that if the arguments take place in the presence of his client.
Subsequently, the bench granted one-time exemption from personal appearance to Shehbaz and extended his interim bail till July 16.
The LHC had granted interim bail to Shehbaz Sharif on June 3 in assets case and it was extended twice after he was tested positive for coronavirus.
