An accountability court in Lahore on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of assets beyond means and money laundering reference against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz until May 32. The court also approved Hamza Shehbaz’s application seeking exemption from hearing for one day. The court ordered provision of copies of NAB’s supplementary investigation report to all the accused. Earlier, the court disposed of the interim bail petition filed by Haroon Yousaf, son-in-law of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after the latter said he was withdrawing it.

Judge Qamaruz Zaman of the accountability court No 9 heard the case. Speaking on the occasion, Yousaf, who was hitherto a proclaimed offender in the case along with another suspect Syed Tahir Naqvi, said that since he had been declared innocent in the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) supplementary report, he did not require bail in the case. Co-suspect Naqvi also withdrew the interim bail application.

Besides Yousaf and Naqvi, PM Shehbaz is also a suspect in the money laundering case. The court ordered distribution of supplementary report’s copies to 16 suspects in the case. The judge remarked that now the question was whether other suspects in the case could be indicted. He further said that if proofs were found to be inadequate, the suspects could be set free. Hamza Shehbaz, son of the prime minister, on the occasion filed an application for exemption from appearance in the court today. NAB’s report has also given a clean chit to Hamza and PM Shehbaz in the reference. Later, the court adjourned hearing of the case until May 31.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP