LAHORE: An accountability court on Saturday extended the physical remand of Leader of the Opposition in the National Asse­mbly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shahbaz Sharif for another 14 days in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing scheme case.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) stated before the court that the former chief minister of Punjab was also arrested in another case for issuing a directive for the construction of a drain in Chiniot primarily for the use of the Ramzan Sugar Mills, which is owned by his sons.

Mr Shahbaz was produced in court soon after being brought to Lahore from Islamabad amid strict security. The opposition leader was in the capital on a transit-remand last week for his appearance in the National Assembly session.

Unlike previous hearings a large number of PML-N workers gathered outside the judicial complex this time were charged.

NAB also arrests opposition leader in sugar mills’ drain construction case; PML-N workers confront police outside court

Police had cordoned off roads leading to the judicial complex by placing containers and barbed wire. Several workers were baton-charged as police attempted to disperse them, while women workers scuffled with women police in a bid to enter the complex.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, MPAs Khwaja Imran Nazir and Uzma Bokhari, MNA Waheed Alam Khan and other party leaders were also present outside the complex.

MNA Hamza Shahbaz, however, made it to the courtroom before the appearance of his father, Mr Shahbaz.

At the outset of the hearing, Judge Syed Najamul Hassan Bokhari took notice of the presence of a large number of lawyers inside the courtroom making it difficult to conduct the proceedings peacefully. When he asked Mr Shahbaz whether the lawyers came for his support, the PML-N president said they were not his party workers. The judge then directed a police officer to control the situation and left the courtroom for some time.

On the resumption of the hearing, NAB special prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua said the bureau executed arrest warrants for Mr Shahbaz in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case on Saturday morning. He said Mr Shahbaz being the former chief minister had issued a directive for the construction of a drain in Chiniot primarily for the use of the sugar mills which was owned by his sons. He said an amount of Rs200 million was spent on the drain from public money.

Advocate Amjad Pervez, the counsel for Mr Shahbaz, requested the court to ask NAB whether residents of the district also benefited from the drain. He also questioned the arrest of his client in a new case during the physical remand of another case. He argued that under the law, a person already in custody was supposed to be arrested in all cases. He said the request of NAB for a separate remand in another case was unlawful.

Advocate Pervez stated the subsequent arrest of Mr Shahbaz showed mala fide on the part of NAB. He said NAB Director General Shahzad Saleem became a party to the Shahbaz Sharif case, as the former resorted to his media trial by discussing details of the ongoing investigation on TV channels in a number of programmes.

However, the judge reminded the counsel that his client had already recorded his protest against the NAB officials at the highest forum, the parliament. To this, the lawyer responded, “My appropriate forum is this court.”

The counsel argued that there was no need to extend physical remand, as NAB could interrogate Mr Shahbaz during judicial remand in jail as well.

When the investigating officer of the case complained that Mr Shahbaz had threatened him during the course of interrogation, the defence lawyer said his “client is not like a firebrand cleric who would hurl threats”.

The IO stated that he failed to interrogate Mr Shahbaz during the transit remand, because the PML-N president was busy with the assembly proceedings and party meetings. However, the opposition leader rejected the stance and told the court that he could say on oath that he had been interrogated during the transit remand.

Requesting the court to extend remand of Mr Shahbaz for 15 days, the prosecutor stated that accused Ahad Khan Cheema had prepared a fraudulent feasibility report for Ashiyana housing scheme under the directions of Mr Shahbaz showing the price of 2,000 kanals as Rs14 billion, whereas the actual price was Rs23 billion.

He said the State Bank of Pakistan had reported numerous suspicious transactions related to the bank accounts of Mr Shahbaz, Salman Shahbaz and Hamza Shahbaz and also their business concerns, which needed to be investigated during the period of further remand.

The judge extended the remand of Mr Shahbaz for another 14 days in the Ashiyana housing scheme case and directed the NAB to produce him again on Nov 24.

‘Efforts on to control democracy’

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said efforts were being made to control democracy in the country through NAB. She condemned the police action against party workers, alleging that ministers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government were officiating as police station house officers.

Referring to the transfer of Islamabad and Pakpattan police chiefs, the PML-N spokesperson also questioned the PTI’s claims about depoliticising police.

Ms Aurangzeb said the nation had complete trust in the PML-N.

PML-N lawmaker Imran Nazir told the media that an FIR would be lodged against the police officials for allegedly injuring and torturing peaceful party workers.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2018