ISLAMABAD: Following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s move to seek relief under recent amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz have also sought legal reprieve. On Wednesday, they requested the retransfer of the Ramazan Sugar Mills reference back to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
This development comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on September 6, 2023, to accept intra-court appeals filed against a previous judgement that had invalidated amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance. The court remarked that Imran Khan was unable to prove that the NAB amendments were unconstitutional.
During the hearing, counsel for Shehbaz and Hamza Sharif argued that, following the Supreme Court’s verdict, the case against their clients was now “inadmissible” and that the accountability court lacked the necessary jurisdiction to continue proceedings. The court responded by directing the defense to file an application to transfer the reference to NAB, setting a hearing on the matter for October 1. Additionally, Hamza Shehbaz was granted an exemption from personal appearances in court.
The Ramazan Sugar Mills reference stems from allegations that former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif misused his position to facilitate the construction of a 10-km sludge carrier in Chiniot District, benefiting the sugar mills owned by his sons, allegedly causing a loss of Rs213 million to the national exchequer. NAB reopened the reference in November 2023 after the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s amendments to the NAB law were overturned.
Previously, Imran Khan had also sought acquittal in a £190 million case under the same NAB amendments, despite having challenged them. His legal team argued that the case was invalid under the restored amendments, which protect decisions made by the cabinet.