LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted bail to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in the assets beyond means case after the initial order of the court was sent to the referee judge.
The three-judge bench headed by Justice Ali Baqir Najafi, Justice Aalia Neelam and Justice Shahbaz Rizvi was hearing the bail application of the PML-N president.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi announced the verdict.
During the hearing, the court asked the NAB prosecutor to present his arguments in the case.
NAB prosecutor Faisal Raza Bukhari opposed the arguments given by Shahbaz’s lawyer Azam Nazeer Tarar.
“Yesterday, Shahbaz Sharif’s lawyers did not see that the bail was rejected after approval,” said NAB’s lawyer, at which Tarar objected.
To this, the court also told Tarar that it had issued certain directions to him.
Shahbaz’s lawyer told the court that if NAB had objections, it can issue a contempt notice to him.
Seeing the verbal scuffle between them, the bench warned that it would adjourn the hearing if both lawyers continued.
Tarar then took a back seat and the court allowed the NAB lawyer to continue with his arguments.
The NAB prosecutor told the bench that Shahbaz’s five sons and daughter are absconding.
“Suleman Shehbaz, Nusrat Shahbaz, Rabia Imran, Haroon Yousuf, Syed Tahir Naqvi and Ali Hamid are absconding,” said NAB’s lawyer Faisal Raza Bukhari.
Bukhari told the court that the high court had instructed Nusrat Shehbaz to be part of the case via her lawyer. He added that NAB does not oppose the move.
The prosecutor then told the court that NAB had sent call-up notices to the accused in the case, but no received response.
Bukhari told the bench that in 1990, Shehbaz had shown assets of Rs2.1 million and in 1998 they had risen to Rs10.48 million. He then claimed that from 2010-2018 the Model Town residence of Shehbaz was turned into a camp office for the chief minister.
Bukhari said that the opposition leader showed assets of Rs7.32 billion and all the assets were gained after 2005.
Later on, the court granted the bail.
Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) Muhammad Qasim Khan previously formed a three-member full-court bench to hear the bail plea of PMLN president Shehbaz Sharif.
Previosuly, Judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) bench came up with a split decision on Sharif’s release on bail.
Justice Sarfraz Dogar, who headed the bench, allowed the petition while its other member Justice Asjad Javed Ghural dismissed the same on merits. In his dissenting order, Justice Ghural also accused the senior judge of issuing the bail granting short order ‘unilaterally’.
In a dissenting note, Justice Asjad Javed Ghural said that he had asked the court to reject bail. He also hinted at rejecting bail in the chamber, but the co-judge announced the acceptance of bail on his own. Despite my clear refusal, the matter was brought to the notice of the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court in a few minutes, he added.
“This is a very unfortunate and rare example in the judicial history, which could not be expected from a senior member heading the division bench,” said the dissenting judge.
On Friday, the release of Pakistan Muslim League (N) President Shehbaz Sharif was postponed as the Lahore High Court did not issue the written judgment of the money-laundering case.
Both the aforesaid judges are yet to forward their own judgments to LHC chief justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, where a third judge will be nominated, who will decide the matter after reading the independent judgments of both the judges.
Previously, the Lahore High Court on Wednesday granted bail to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in the assets beyond means case.
Shehbaz had approached the high court against his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the corruption reference also involving his family members.
A two-member bench of the LHC announced their decision after hearing arguments from Sharif’s and NAB’s counsels.
