LAHORE, Dec 3: Former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was not a defaulter in any case as evident from the record, his counsel Khwaja Haris told Dawn.

The lawyer had been referring to the order of Returning Officer Ashtar Ausaf issued on Saturday, which raised the controversy regarding Shahbaz Sharif’s status on loans.

Shahbaz’s rival candidates from NA-119 had accused him of defaulting on loans availed from a consortium of banks headed by the National Bank of Pakistan.

They said in 2002 a division bench had set aside the order of acceptance of nomination papers of Shahbaz Sharif while entertaining an appeal. They said a full bench had also dismissed Shahbaz’s appeal against the order of disqualification.

After hearing the arguments, the RO referred to the para 30 of the full bench verdict which had turned down Shahbaz’s appeal against his disqualification in 2002.

Haris said in para 30, the full bench had said Shahbaz Sharif was not a defaulter because he was only the guarantor of the loans.

The counsel said the full bench also said when the banks and the units, which availed the loans, settled the schedule of repayment, Shahbaz could not be said to have any liability.