LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday adjourned to December 13 hearing of money laundering reference against Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz due to unavailability of their counsel.

Presiding Judge Naseem Ahmad Virk deferred the hearing till December 13 and directed the NAB to present its witnesses for cross examination.

Another accountability court also adjourned hearings of Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme references against Shehbaz, Hamza and others till December 13. Earlier, an associate of the counsel told the court that defence counsel Amjad Pervez was out of the country and would return on December 9.

Shehbaz and Hamza were also present in the court. The NAB alleged that the family members and benamidars of Shehbaz Sharif received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts. In addition to these remittances, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders, which were deposited in personal bank accounts of his sons Hamza and Suleman, the bureau added.

Shahbaz, his wife Nusrat and son Hamza had been indicted in the case. Being out of the country, Nusrat joined the trial proceedings through a pleader with the permission of the court.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021