Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received a permanent exemption from attending court hearings in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. An accountability court on Monday approved Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s plea for a permanent exemption from personal appearance.
According to details, the Prime Minister appeared before the court today. He stated that he has always ensured his presence in court hearings. However, now he has a huge responsibility as the prime minister and emphasized his busy schedule.
“The purpose of filing the petition is that as prime minister of the country I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulders,” Shehbaz Sharif said.
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“There are times when I have to travel abroad, meet with the officials of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and foreign dignitaries,” he further added.
As a result, Accountability Judge Asad Ali Awan announced his decision, which was reserved over the plea in a previous hearing. The court adjourned a further hearing of the case on July 05.
An accountability court on Monday approved Imported Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's plea for a permanent exemption from personal appearance in a case relating to the Ashiana Housing project. He cited "national responsibilities" as the reason for wanting an exemption
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Corruption charges against PM Shehbaz
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has accused Shehbaz Sharif of issuing a directive while being Punjab’s chief minister for the construction of a drain in district Chiniot for the use of Ramzan Sugar Mills, which is owned by his sons Hamza and Suleman.
Pertinent to mention, Hamza is currently serving as the Chief Minister of Punjab. He has also filed an application for a one-time exemption from personal appearance.
Furthermore, NAB has also accused Shehbaz Sharif of causing a huge loss to the national exchequer by awarding the contract of the Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme to a company without bidding.
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However, the Prime Minister can now skip court hearings since he has received a permanent exemption because of his busy schedule as a prime minister. Needless to say, the NAB prosecutor present at the hearing today opposed the prime minister’s plea, saying that there were no solid reasons for his exemption from personal appearance in the case.