POLITICS & POLICY MAKING
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, have sought legal relief in the Ramzan Sugar Mill reference under the recently amended National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Act. Their legal team filed a petition in the accountability court, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case due to the changes introduced in the new NAB law.
In the application, the lawyers contended that under the amended regulations, the accountability court should not have the authority to continue with the reference. They requested that the court return the case to the NAB Chairman for further proceedings. In response, the accountability court has directed NAB to provide a reply to the application by October 11.
During the proceedings, the court accepted a one-day attendance waiver request made by Shehbaz Sharif. His representative, Anwar Hussain, attended the hearing on behalf of the Prime Minister, fulfilling the attendance requirement.
The Ramzan Sugar Mill case has been a significant point of contention in Pakistan's political landscape, with the Sharif family facing scrutiny over alleged financial irregularities linked to the sugar mill operations. The new NAB Amendment Act, which aims to streamline the accountability process, has raised questions about the jurisdiction and authority of the accountability court in such cases.
As the political scenario continues to evolve, the court's upcoming decision on NAB's jurisdiction in this matter will be closely monitored by legal experts and political analysts alike.