Supreme Court declares LHC’s order to inform Hamza Shahbaz before his arrest null and void

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday declared the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order to inform former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shahbaz 10 days before his arrest in the clean water, Ramzan Sugar Mills and assets beyond means case null and void.

The court held that there was no requirement or condition available in the law for informing an accused before his arrest.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi, heard the appeal of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), challenging the order of the learned Lahore High Court.

The court disposed of the petition of NAB, after declaring that the order of LHC was ineffective.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Lahore High Court had directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to inform former chief minister Punjab Hamza Shehbaz 10 days before his arrest in the references filed against him in clean drinking water, assets beyond means as well as Ramzan Sugar Mills cases.