LHC grants protective bail to Hamza

PA opposition leader fears arrest by NAB

LAHORE:  

The Lahore High Court on Thursday granted protective bail to Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif.

Hamza feared the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) may arrest him when he appears for investigations into cases such as Punjab Saaf Pani Company (PSPC).

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, started proceedings on the plea of the PML-N leader who claimed he has been cooperating with the bureau.

Opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, along with his counsel, appeared before the division bench. The lawyer contended that NAB had initiated three different investigations against Hamza Shehbaz including PSPC. He told the court that NAB had initiated investigations on matters which were beyond the bureau’s purview.

To this, the bench observed that the information should be shared with NAB if required. Hamza’s counsel said his client was required to appear before NAB on Friday (today) for investigations in three different cases. The lawyer claimed that NAB’s modus operandi was that it summons individuals for one case, but arrests them in another. He added a similar approach was used to detain National Assembly Opposition Leader Mian Shehbaz Sharif.

He contended Hamza had been cooperating with NAB officials and produced all possible records which were needed. He argued that the petitioner had apprehensions that he would be arrested during his appearance. Therefore, he asked the court to grant protective bail and restrain NAB from arresting him.

After hearing the arguments, the division bench granted protective bail to the petitioner till Oct 13 and ordered him to deposit surety bonds of Rs10,00,000 each.