LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday adjourned hearing of a money laundering reference against the family of Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

Shehbaz did not appear due to medical reasons, however, his son Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz appeared before a duty judge since the regular presiding officer of the relevant trial court had been transferred and a new incumbent was still awaited.

A counsel for Shehbaz filed a written application seeking one-time exemption from personal appearance in the case. He said Shehbaz had medical complications and his health was vulnerable to Covid-19.

Duty Judge Sajjad Ahmad allowed the application and adjourned further hearing till May 18.

Shehbaz and Hamza had been released on bail by the Lahore High Court in the reference.

The NAB in its reference accused Shehbaz of being a beneficiary of the assets held in the name of his family members and benamidars, who had no sources to acquire such assets.

The reference said Shehbaz and his family failed to justify the sources of funds used for acquisition of assets.

Shehbaz, his son Hamza and daughter Javeria Ali had been indicted in the reference besides other suspects including Fazal Dad Abbasi, Rashid Karamat, Muhammad Usman, Masroor Anwar, Nisar Ahmad, Shoaib Qamar and Qasim Qayyum.

Shehbaz’s another son Suleman, daughter Rabia Imran and son-in-law Haroon Yousaf had been declared absconders by the trial court for avoiding their appearance in the proceedings.

His wife Nusrat obtained a stay order from the high court against the proceedings to declare her absconder.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2021