Shehbaz's bail plea: NAB’s petition for formation of new bench rejected

Shehbaz's bail plea: NAB’s petition for formation of new bench rejected

Lahore (Staff Report): The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) petition, seeking formation of a new bench to hear Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shehbaz Sharif’s bail petitions.

LHC Chief Justice Sardar Mehmood Shamim Khan on Monday heard NAB’s plea.

The NAB prosecutor alleged that the current LHC bench cannot hear opposition Leader in the National Assembly’s bail plea, citing a Supreme Court (SC) verdict in Zubair case as precedent. He argued that former chief minister’s bail plea should be referred to an LHC bench headed by Justice Baqir Ali Najafi as the judge had rejected the bail petitions of the co-accused.

After hearing the arguments, the court first reserved the decision and then later while announcing a short verdict rejected NAB’s plea.

On October 6, NAB had arrested the PML-N president in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case and he is currently in jail on remand.