LHC adjourns Shehbaz Sharif bail petitions till 14th
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LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench adjourned the hearing of bail petitions filed by Opposition Leader in National Assembly Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif till Thursday (Feb 14).
The bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan heard the bail petitions filed by Shehbaz Sharif in connection with Ashiana-e-Iqbal housing and Ramzan Sugar Mills sludge carrier cases.
The bench adjourned the hearing of the bail petitions after National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Special Prosecutor Akram Qureshi requested to adjourn matter for arguments.
However, the bench asked counsel for the parties to satisfy it over various questions on next hearing. The bench directed for advancing arguments on how to determine that the sludge carrier was built for personal use or public use.
The court also sought arguments from the counsel over feasibility report for the sludge carrier and its approval from the provincial assembly besides seeking details of similar schemes in Chiniot and other districts.
Shehbaz’s counsel Advocate Amjad Parvaiz told the court that the provincial government was empowered to release funds for the sludge carrier as its cost was about Rs 200 million, in response to court query during the hearing.
Meanwhile, the bench adjourned hearing of bail petitions filed by senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad till Thursday after defence counsel concluded his arguments in connection with assets beyond means case against his client. The court directed NAB special prosecutor to conclude his arguments on next date of hearing.
During the proceedings, the NAB prosecutor apprised the bench that Fawad Hassan Fawad own a plaza worth billions in Rawalpindi whereas he had also 14 benami accounts. He also submitted that Fawad’s brother and another relative allegedly received Rs 50 million from Kamran Kiyani.
However, the defence counsel argued that the Bureau arrested Fawad Hassan Fawad on July 5, 2018 in connection with Ashiana Iqbal scam whereas his arrest warrants in connection with assets case were issued on August 3. He contended that the step was illegal as no warrants could be issued for the accused in the custody under section 24 of NAB Ordinance.
He further apprised the court about plaza and loan obtained for its construction submitting that Fawad’s brother had business relations with Kamran Kiyani.
APP