Hamza?s bail extended until 11th

[ahlam1399]

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz until June 11 in two inquiries being probed by the National Accountability Bureau.A two-member bench, headed by Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi; however, disposed of PML-N leader’s bail petition in Saaf Pani case after the NAB prosecutor assured the court that his arrest was not required.Hamza, who appeared before the court along with his counsels, is facing inquiries in the cases related to Punjab Saaf Pani Company, Ramzan Sugar Mills, money laundering and assets beyond means.The counsel for Hamza, Azam Nazir Tarar, told the court that NAB had issued three call-up notices to his client. In the past, he said, the court had issued orders to intimate Hamza 10 days prior to his arrest.Advocate Tarar asked the court to defer the hearing of the case and fix a date for the same after Eidul Fitr. However, Justice Naqvi turned down his plea, remarking that courts are there so that people could get relief and the matter would be decided today.Tarar insisted that a lawyer representing Hamza in one of three cases, Salman Aslam Butt, was not available as he had gone abroad. The court rejected the argument, saying that the court was not bound to wait for Butt’s return.“Slogans are being raised in the high court every other day, the high court has been turned into Mochi Gate?” Justice Naqvi asked, adding that the court would not wait for Salman Butt and the decision would be made quickly and strictly in accordance with law as per the available record.“I had been sitting on the chair for the last 10 years but had not passed a single biased decision,” Justice Naqvi added.“Why doesn’t Hamza Shahbaz join the investigation like a common man?” asked the court. Justice Naqvi was of the view that NAB had acted illegally in the instant case as it should have arrested all the accused on day one.To it, Tarar said as the court had disclosed its mind it would be a futile exercise to extend arguments.The counsel said Hamza has been joining the probe continuously.During the course of hearing, the bench also reprimanded the NAB prosecutor for telling incorrect inquiry number in Saaf Pani case. This shows your seriousness and ability. It seems all NAB prosecutors had not bothered to touch the case file.After hearing arguments from both sides to some extent, the court adjourned hearing until June 11.On May 28, a bench of the court — comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem — recused itself from hearing the case after Hamza had personally told the bench that he had reservations on the bench since NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal made the bail proceedings controversial by discussing them in a recent interview to the media.On May 29, LHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan had entrusted proceedings on the bail petition of Hamza to another division bench comprising Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Waheed Khan.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/com/cwEr/~4/s_WMfyk53aI

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