LAHORE: An accountability court on Monday indicted a co-suspect in the money laundering reference against Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his family.

The co-suspect, Ahmad Ali, denied the charges against him and decided to contest the trial.

Presiding Judge Sajid Ali Awan directed the prosecution team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to present its witnesses on the next hearing.

The judge also allowed an application of Shehbaz’s son Hamza, who leads opposition in the Punjab Assembly, seeking exemption from personal appearance in the references of money laundering and Ramzan Sugar Mills on medical grounds.

The application said Hamza had a severe back pain and the doctors had advised him bed rest for at least ten days.

However, Shehbaz appeared before the court and attended the proceedings against him in the references.

The NAB filed its reply to the acquittal applications of two co-suspects — Bilal Qidwai and Imtiaz Haider — in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme reference.

The court adjourned further hearing till Jan 10 for arguments on the acquittal applications.

In the money laundering reference, the NAB alleged that the family members and benamidars of Shehbaz received fake foreign remittances worth billions in their personal bank accounts. In addition to these remittances, the bureau said, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders, which were deposited in personal bank accounts of his sons Hamza and Suleman.

Shahbaz, his wife Ms Nusrat and son Hamza had been indicted in the case. Being out of the country, Ms Nusrat joined the trial proceedings through a pleader with the permission of the court.

LG ordinance: The Lahore High Court on Monday issued notices on a petition challenging the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021 and also sought assistance from the advocate general.

Justice Shahid Jamil Khan was hearing a petition of Sialkot district council chairperson Hina Arshad.

Petitioner’s counsel Imran Raza Chaddhar submitted the impugned ordinance envisaged dissolution of the existing local bodies till Jan 1, 2021 and the use of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the next polls in the province.

He said the provincial government, with a mala fide intention, had been trying to change the local government system according to its own whims.

He said the new law also permitted election of non-elected representatives through a direct vote and the chief minister had been given powers, making the local government system ineffective.

The counsel argued that the use of the EVMs without the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP’s) approval and deliberations by the political parties was an undemocratic decision of the government. He also challenged the appointment of administrators after the dissolution of the existing local government system.

He argued that the ordinance was in violation of various provisions of the Constitution and liable to be set aside.

After hearing the arguments, the judge issued notices to the respondents and also sought assistance from the advocate general of Punjab at the hearing on Dec 23.

Meanwhile, Justice Shahid Waheed referred a similar petition by Faisalabad Mayor Razzaq Malik to Justice Shahid Jamil Khan who was already seized with other petitions on the local government law.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2021