Shahbaz to return after Eid, lawyer tells accountability court
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Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif will return after Eidul Fitr, his counsel told an accountability court in Lahore on Saturday.
During the hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana Housing Scheme corruption cases, in which the PML-N president is a chief suspect, the court directed Shahbaz's counsel to give the court a "final date" of his return by May 28.
Shahbaz's lawyer told the court that he will be back after Eidul Fitr as he has an appointment with his doctor in Pakistan on June 7. The opposition leader had gone to London for a "quick visit" over a month ago to meet his grandchildren and to undergo a medical checkup and has not returned since.
In today's proceedings, judge Jawadul Hasan demanded evidence to justify Shahbaz's visit to London.
"Which document do I have which shows that [Shahbaz's] medical treatment is not possible in Pakistan?" he asked.
Shahbaz's lawyer insisted that doctors in Pakistan had suggested the PML-N president to go to London for medical treatment.
"He is not asking for a permanent exemption, it's just a matter of two weeks," the lawyer said.
He pointed out that despite Shahbaz's absence the trial of the case had not stopped. National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua complained that even though the rest of the suspects named in the references were present before the court, the trial was not progressing due to Shahbaz's absence.
Janjua further said that the former Punjab chief minister had not taken the court's permission before leaving.
The hearing was adjourned until May 28.
In the Ashiyana housing scam, Shahbaz Sharif is accused of ordering the cancellation of a contract given to successful bidder Chaudhry Latif and Sons for the low-cost housing scheme, which led to the subsequent award of the contract to Lahore Casa Developers, a proxy group of Paragon City Private Limited, resulting in a loss of Rs193 million.
In the Ramzan Sugar Mills corruption case, Shahbaz and his son Hamza Shahbaz are accused of "fraudulently and dishonestly" causing a Rs213 million loss to the national exchequer.
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Comments (49) Closed
May 25, 2019 01:03pm
But, the accountability court itself is now in turmoil.
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May 25, 2019 01:06pm
Yes, Mian Shabaz Sharif will return after Eid but which year is yet to be decided. Long live NRO. Yes, IK has not given NRO because that is something not in his hands.
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May 25, 2019 01:09pm
I don't think Shabaz Sharif will return back, as he is facing serious corruption cases and most likely will go to prison. He has applied for Asylum in England, he will use every trick and excuses in the book to remain in the UK.
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May 25, 2019 01:22pm
All these Sharifs have some special diseases...And their treatment is not possible in Pakistan...Wonder what it is...is it phobia of accountability for massive corruption...
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May 25, 2019 01:32pm
He's gone for good
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May 25, 2019 01:34pm
He will never return, it's in their gene, his son and son in law along with nephews are absconders in London, why he should return, he is meeting with people for deal negotiations for his elder brother.
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May 25, 2019 01:38pm
Cancel his passport upon return.
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May 25, 2019 01:43pm
this was expected, now he might not come back ever :-)
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May 25, 2019 01:56pm
Perhaps waiting for last minute hope to be fulfilled.
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May 25, 2019 02:03pm
Sorry wrong number. He’s not going to return, unless given assurance of not being caught on arrival.
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May 25, 2019 02:07pm
for a "quick visit" over a month ago to meet his grandchildren and to undergo a medical checkup and has not returned since." A day here a day there in the second home in London a favourite health resort of Sharifs.
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May 25, 2019 02:12pm
@M. Saeed,
Not really. Cases are progressing.do not worry, all corrupt will be caught and punished.
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May 25, 2019 02:28pm
Accountability is a joke....
Let's cut our losses and move on, waste of public money...
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May 25, 2019 02:41pm
Wonders if he return to his secondhomes country because he is already enjoying in his opted homeland
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May 25, 2019 02:43pm
He should be cited for contempt of court, and delaying the trial. Take away his passport to prevent future occurrences.
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May 25, 2019 02:44pm
@M. Saeed, fake news, you follow it?!
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May 25, 2019 02:47pm
@Bhaijan, he should be jailed upon arrival.
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May 25, 2019 02:47pm
@M. Saeed, Indian?
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May 25, 2019 03:02pm
He is going to celebtare Eid with his family members who have runaway from Pakistan. They all will have luxurious Eid with the looted money.
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May 25, 2019 03:05pm
SS will return after Eid. Maybe a day after Eid, maybe three days after Eid, maybe 30 years after Eid...but he will return after Eid!
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May 25, 2019 03:13pm
@Shib, disease name is Power
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May 25, 2019 04:09pm
Why should he come back to Pakistan when their is nothing left to loot and more over all his family including grand children are living in UK. The only one left in Pakistan is Hamza who will also disappear one day.
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May 25, 2019 04:19pm
NAB not in turmoil. The propagandists want you to believe they are in turmoil. The Chairman NAB should NEVER resign. He should fight harder for the people of Pakistan. The people behind this cheap stunt should be punished severly. Get the intelligence services involved. Chairman NAB zindabad.
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May 25, 2019 04:27pm
@M. Saeed,
There is no turmoil, only smoke screen! Relax, the crooks are all going to jail!
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May 25, 2019 05:27pm
Please declare him as an absconder and arrest him upon arrival. No more cheap excuses.
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May 25, 2019 05:36pm
Shahbaz Sharif doesn't seem to running away anywhere. He is seriously ill I believe. Yet he has affirmed time and again that he will return. So far, Sharif brothers have returned time and again to face the music. The same cannot be said of others.
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May 25, 2019 05:50pm
A quick visit to evergreen favorite rendezvous for Sharif family becoming a guess game of his return to face ongoing accountability, shows that we have different prevailing criminal proceeding laws in the country for the privileged class. The judge is very right in asking for medical board report which recommended him to go to UK for checkup /treatment of an unspecified disease on the pretext of its nonavailability within the country.
Notwithstanding, such lame excuses meant to delay ongoing accountability of this highly corrupt member of Sharif dynasty whose absconded son & son in law stay put in London for the same reasons, is purely by design & not because of ill health. This cat and mouse game like other similar ongoing cases against other corrupts of the sharif family, present in the country, is sickening & must be stopped. These highly corrupt belonging to sharif & Bhutto dynasties should be incarcerated & forced to cough up those billions stacked within & outside the country.
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May 25, 2019 06:05pm
sher e punjab is a goat
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May 25, 2019 06:20pm
@Rizwan, may be greed and lust for power ...together i guess..
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May 25, 2019 06:22pm
In legal practice, the condition of suborning perjury applies to an attorney who presents either testimony or an affidavit, or both, either to a judge or to a jury, which the attorney knows to be materially false, and not factual. ... "Which document do I have which shows that Shahbaz's medical treatment is not possible in Pakistan?" --- The lawyer dare not submit any such false document or false testimony. The penalty for suborning perjury in Pakistan is a maximum of seven years imprisonment.
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May 25, 2019 06:26pm
...yes after Eid-ul- Fitr of 2023 just in time to fight elections!!
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May 25, 2019 07:12pm
We are really a nation of two classes - about time media starts giving the lower class sometime.
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May 25, 2019 07:19pm
Shahbaz Sharif had to go to London to see doctors there, but he has an appointment in Pakistan to see doctors on June 7th ?
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May 25, 2019 07:21pm
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani, Make no mistake about it, Shahbaz WILL return to Pakistan, his brother is sitting behind bars in Pakistan, the Sharifs cannot make a bad decision at this point, half the family will end up in jail permanently
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May 25, 2019 08:02pm
Come on NAB. Hearing should be done daily. Wrap up the cases.
Stop this system of giving Date after Date.
Change Constitution and create JURY system like in USA. It is great system.
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May 25, 2019 08:12pm
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani, well said brother but you fell short of saying “ to enjoy those billions he and his sons laundered through opening of fake accounts Hin the name of laborers working in sugar mills owned by the family.” This never ending saga, where members of this this corrupt dynasty of Takhat-e- Lahore and their cohorts, staying out of reach of NAB, must be stopped through seeking help of Interpol. Sooner it is done the better it is because nation is sick and tired of these crooks including NS, circumventing the law to their own advantage, by showing themselves suffering from unspecified ailments incurable in Pakistan.
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May 25, 2019 08:41pm
After Eid means till eternity
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May 25, 2019 08:57pm
@Amjad Durrani Engineer USA, today you have hit the nail on it head. Yes, these are the most CORRUPT, DISHONEST, INCOMPETENT so called POLITICIANS like Shriefs and Zardari who have stolen wealth of the poor to build overseas properties.
They Should Be In Jail.
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May 25, 2019 09:10pm
He should be ashamed himself going London for treatment while the poor people of Pakistan can,t even afford the primary health care.
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May 25, 2019 09:52pm
He will never return at least till PM IK is in chair or NAB is in action.
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May 25, 2019 09:57pm
But why was he allowed to go. Bring him back in handcuffs.
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May 25, 2019 10:13pm
PLM N party of dirty tricks. Trying to scandalise the great chairman of NAB and the audacity of Zardari junior blaming the government. IK does not do dirty tricks or corruption or money laundering tht is your forte.
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May 25, 2019 10:36pm
Of course Mr. Shahbaz Sharif will return. On the same flight back as Mr. Ishaq Dar.
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May 25, 2019 10:36pm
Eid in UK is mandatory for Sharif family, as they all live there, Pak is good to rule not to live.
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May 25, 2019 10:48pm
@fairplay,
First thing these crooks do is get diplomatic passports for self and family.
Do you think that these people ever return their diplomatic passport.
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May 25, 2019 11:12pm
He may return after stashing away billions looted from the poor in Pakistan NAB has to recover these billions from the shameless Sharif family soon
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May 26, 2019 12:09am
No problem to arrest them in them UK.
They cannot hide there
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May 26, 2019 03:06am
Which Eid?
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May 26, 2019 04:57am
SC needs to pass a law no one can practice poltics in Pakistan ,if they are not living in Pakistan !
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