The process of returning the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference involving Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has begun. An accountability court in Lahore, where the case is being heard, has received applications to transfer the reference back to NAB.
During a session presided over by Duty Judge Zubair Shehzad Kayani, the court adjourned until October 1 to review these requests. According to the legal representatives of Shehbaz and Hamza, the reference is now “inadmissible” following a Supreme Court ruling on NAB amendments, which restricts the court’s jurisdiction over the case.
These amendments, reinstated by the Supreme Court, limit NAB’s authority to probe cases under Rs500 million and narrow its powers in specific tax-related and regulatory issues. The lawyers argue that, under the revised laws, the accountability court should not handle the case.
Hamza Shehbaz, granted a one-day exemption due to back pain, was represented by a medical certificate submitted on his behalf, indicating doctors had advised bed rest. The court approved his exemption. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, already exempted permanently from attending hearings, was represented by his pleader, Anwar Hussain.
Originally filed by NAB in February 2019, the reference accuses Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz of misappropriating public funds to build a 10-kilometer sludge carrier for Ramzan Sugar Mills, owned by their family. This allegedly caused a Rs213 million loss to the treasury. However, Shehbaz Sharif contends the drain was constructed for community benefit at a local MPA’s request, dismissing the accusations as politically driven.
This case’s progression follows the Supreme Court’s decision to restore the NAB amendments, a ruling with broad implications for numerous high-profile cases, redefining the anti-corruption body’s scope. The court is set to deliberate further on October 1.
