LAHORE: The Accountability Court in Lahore on Monday granted permanent exemption from personal appearance to President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

The court allowed the petition filed by PM Shehbaz praying for permanent exemption from appearance in Ramzan Sugar Mills’ reference. Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif’s lawyer completed his arguments regarding PM’s permanent exemption from personally attending the hearings. Shehbaz’s lawyer prayed the court to allow PM’s representative Mohammad Nawaz to appear in court in his place.

PM Shehbaz while addressing the court said that my schedule regarding national duties is not hidden and if my plea will be rejected, “I will keep on appearing before the court”.

The PM said he had approved to apply taxes on sugar mills and his son’s sugar mills also suffered loss of 2.5 billion rupees.

The NAB prosecutor opposed the PM’s application of exemption from attending the hearing permanently. He said no solid reasons have been given by Shehbaz Sharif’s lawyer from which he can be granted exemption from attending the hearings.

He also said that Shehbaz’s medical certificate was also not submitted with the application. It is pertinent to mention that the Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz also filed an application seeking exemption from personal appearance due to budget engagements.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022