LAHORE: A duty judge of an accountability court on Tuesday adjourned hearings of three references -- money laundering, Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana Housing Scheme -- against Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and others.

Shehbaz and his son Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz appeared before the court. Hundreds of PML-N workers gathered outside the judicial complex to welcome their leaders.

Shehbaz told the court that a session of the National Assembly was in progress and he specially came from Islamabad to attend the proceedings.

He requested the court to adjourn hearings in the references at least for a month in view of an increase in the cases of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Duty Judge Sajjad Ahmad Sheikh adjourned the hearing in the three references till June 14.

The regular presiding officer of the trial court had been transferred and a new incumbent was still awaited.

The references against Shehbaz and others have not made any progress since March in absence of regular judges and duty judges have been issuing new dates only while adjourning the proceedings.

The Lahore High Court (LHC), on March 31, had transferred 25 D&SJs in Punjab, including the presiding judges of three accountability courts and a special court for narcotics, which was seized with a drug case against former law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan.

In a statement issued on April 16, the LHC had clarified that there had been no delay on its part with regard to appointment of the presiding judges at three accountability courts of Lahore.

It said the names of district & sessions judges had been sent to the federal government for their appointment at the accountability courts. It maintained that the government had not so far responded to the LHC that was causing a delay in the appointments.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2021