LHC stops NAB from arresting Hamza Shehbaz

LAHORE:  The Lahore High Court on Saturday stopped the The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting Hamza Shehbaz till Monday.

Hamza Shehbaz's lawyer  appeared before the LHC which granted protective bail. 

The court directed the  NAB not to arrest him until it rules on his bail application till on Monday.

The orders came as the NAB along with large contingent of police surrounded   Model Town residence of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif in order to arrest his son.

It was the second NAB raid in less than 24 hours.

Also read: Case registered against Hamza Shehbaz's security guards

Geo News correspondent said the police were accompanying the NAB team which said it come with full preparation to arrest Hamaza Shehbaz.

 Additional Director  NAB Chaudhry Asghar told the media that  he has brought an arrest warrants  for Hamza, asking the PMLN leader to surrender .

"We will not leave with arresting Hamza Shehbaz," he said.

Asked about the allegations  against Hamza Shehbaz , he said the PMLN leader was  facing  charges of money laundering and cases of assets beyond  known sources of income.

A large number of PMLN workers were also gathering outside  the residence of Sharif family to show solidarity with party leaders.

There were also fears of clash between the PMLN workers and  police.

PMLN spokesman

Malik Ahmed Khan said the NAB action was politically motivated and illegal.

He said Hamza Shehbaz had cooperated with investigators but the NAB was presenting an incorrect interpretation of Supreme Court orders.

He said Hamza Shehbaz was of the view that his legal position was strong and would not surrender.

Responding to a question regarding prospects of clash between police and PMLN workers, he said the party workers have been requested  to avoid confrontation.

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 The anti-corruption watch-dog on Friday accused N-league leader's security guards of manhandling its team which had gone to arrest Hamza Shehbaz.

On Friday, NAB had raided the residence in order to arrest his son Hamza Shehbaz.

PML-N leader Marrium Aurangzeb told Geo News that a seven to eight- member NAB team carried out the raid at Shehbaz Sharif's property in 96-H without any warrant.

"Are Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shairf terrorist that NAB is carrying out raids like that," asked Aurangzeb.

She said Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz and other family members were present inside the house when the raid was carried out.

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Case registered

The NAB  has filed an application with Model Town police station for registration of a case against PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz's security guards and others.

NAB's van driver Mumtaz Hussain filed the application wherein security guards were nominated. The complainant alleged that the accused interfered in the official duties and tortured the officials.

The complainant had submitted that the NAB team reached at Hamza Shahbaz's residence in Model Town and showed his arrest warrants to the security guards including Abdul Rehman, Shahbaz Khan and Muhammad Saleem. 

He stated that the said security guards along with six other unknown security guards attacked the bureau team and tortured van driver, Mumtaz Hussain, and tore his clothes besides giving threats of dire consequences.

Meanwhile, 15 to 20 PML-N workers also reached the scene and started raising slogans, he said, adding that the workers pushed the NAB officials and asked them to leave.