LAHORE – Former Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz on Tuesday appeared before the anti-corruption court in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference.
The anti-corruption court is currently hearing the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference case involving Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz.
At the start of the hearing, Hamza Shahbaz marked his attendance, while Anwar Hussain, the Prime Minister’s representative, also appeared to complete the attendance.
At the beginning of the proceedings, the defense counsel for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz submitted a copy of the NAB Amendment Ordinance to the court. Advocate Amjad Pervez argued that under the NAB Amendment Ordinance, the anti-corruption court holds jurisdiction to hear the reference.
The judge asked whether charges had already been framed in this case, to which the lawyer confirmed that charges were indeed filed, and four witnesses had testified.
The anti-corruption court judge questioned how the charges framed by the NAB court could proceed here.
In response, Advocate Amjad Pervez offered to provide copies of higher court decisions, adding that if needed, the court could frame charges again in the presence of Hamza Shahbaz and the representative of Shehbaz Sharif.
The judge stated that the court first needed to verify its jurisdiction over the reference. The proceedings were then briefly adjourned to allow the court to assess its authority in the case.
The NAB court transferred the reference to the anti-corruption court following the NAB Amendment Ordinance.
