Chaudhry Sugar Mills case: Court exempts Nawaz from appearance by 28th

LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday granted exemption to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from personal appearance by February 28 on medical grounds in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills alleged money laundering case.

As the hearing commenced, advocate Amjad Parvez, counsel of Nawaz Sharif, submitted fresh medical reports of Nawaz, pleading that his client is still not well. The counsel stated that his client will come to the court as soon as he gets well. He implored the court to grant exemption to Nawaz from personal appearance. The court, after hearing the arguments of Nawaz’s counsel, exempted the former prime minister from personal appearance till February 28. In this case, the court has extended the judicial remand of Yousaf Abbas, nephew of Nawaz, for 14 days. Meanwhile, the accountability court summoned Hamza Shahbaz, an accused in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case, on February 28. The court handed over copies of an interim reference to the accused. Hamza is likely to be indicted on the interim reference on the next hearing.

As per Ramzan Sugar Mills reference, the NAB has blamed Hamza Shahbaz for his alleged role being the chief executive of the Ramzan Sugar Mills to get constructed a drain facilitating his mill out of the public money in Chiniot. Then chief minister Shahbaz Sharif allegedly approved an amount of Rs 210 million for the construction of the drain. Earlier, the NAB had grilled Salman Shahbaz, but he went to the United Kingdom and never returned to join investigations.