LHC extends Shahbaz Sharif’s interim bail till 23rd

By News Desk

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday extended the interim bail of Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif till July 23 in the assets beyond means and money laundering investigations of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A division bench comprising Justice Masud Abid Naqvi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem heard the pre-arrest bail petition filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president.

During Thursday’s proceedings, Sharif, accompanied by other PML-N leaders, appeared before the bench. An associate of Sharif’s counsel requested the bench to adjourn the matter. He stated that senior counsel Amjad Pervez and Azam Nazir Tarar were busy in Islamabad.

NAB Special Prosecutor Syed Faisal Raza Bukhari argued against the request, commenting that the Chief Justice of Pakistan had taken suo motu notice over the delay in decisions of NAB cases.

At this stage, Sharif said he appeared before the bench ignoring his doctors’ advice. He also said his illness was politicised at different forums. However, the bench remarked that Sharif was exempted from personal appearance on previous hearing due to illness.

The former Punjab chief minister told the court that the NAB had completed its investigations pertaining to him. He stated that seven people were present when he appeared before the NAB investigation team and they admitted that the investigations had been completed.

However, the special prosecutor claimed that Sharif refused to answer queries by the investigation team during his last appearance before it.

Subsequently, the bench adjourned further hearing till July 23 and extended interim bail granted to Sharif.