LHC extends Hamza Shehbaz's interim bail until June 11

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz until June 11.

The court was conducting hearing over cases related to the Punjab Saaf Pani Company scam, accumulating assets beyond means of income, and a corruption reference related to the Ramzan sugar mills.

The Ramzan mills reference was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in February this year against Hamza and his father, former chief minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif. The NAB reference alleges that the former chief minister misused his authority by using public funds for the construction of a bridge to facilitate the Ramzan mills, owned by his sons.

During today's hearing, Hamza Shehbaz's counsel Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar pleaded to the court to adjourn the hearing for bail until after Eid ul Fitr holidays. To this, Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi declared that hearing should be conducted on a daily basis if needed.

The lawyer said it was difficult to control party workers and supporters in political cases.

After hearing arguments from Hamza Shehbaz's lawyer and the NAB prosecutor, Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi extended the interim bail for the PML-N leader until June 11.