PM Shehbaz, son Hamza seek relief in Ramzan Sugar Mills reference under amended NAB law

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, have sought relief in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference, requesting the accountability court to declare it outside its jurisdiction under the newly amended National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.

The legal team for the father-son duo filed a petition, arguing that the accountability court no longer has the authority to hear the reference based on the recent amendments to the NAB law. They requested that the court return the case to the NAB chairman for reconsideration.

The court, in response, asked NAB to submit its reply by October 11. Additionally, the court granted Shehbaz Sharif’s request for a one-day exemption from personal appearance, with his representative Anwar Hussain attending on his behalf.

Earlier in the day, an accountability court acquitted Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and others in the Nooriabad Power Project case, following NAB’s withdrawal request. This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling last month that overturned a previous judgment, which had invalidated changes to the NAB laws.

The ruling by a larger bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, upheld the amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 2000, providing significant relief to several political figures, including members of the ruling PML-N. The decision reversed a prior ruling by former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and retired Justice Ijazul Ahsan, who had nullified the amendments.