Lahore (Staff Report): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz until June 11.
A two-member bench, headed by Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi, heard Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader’s petitions, seeking extension in the interim bail in three cases filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
During today's hearing, Hamza Shehbaz's counsel Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar pleaded to the court to adjourn the hearing for bail until after Eid ul Fitr holidays. To this, Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi declared that hearing should be conducted on a daily basis if needed.
The lawyer said it was difficult to control party workers and supporters in political cases.
After hearing arguments from Hamza Shehbaz's lawyer and the NAB prosecutor, Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi extended the interim bail for the PML-N leader until June 11.
On May 29, the LHC constituted a new two-member bench comprising Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Shahid Waheed Khan to hear Hamza Shehbaz’ bail petitions.
A day earlier, a two-judge LHC bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem rescued itself from hearing the bail plea of the lawmaker after he expressed reservations on it in the pretext of NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal’s interaction with columnist Javed Chaudhry.
On May 22, a two-member bench of the LHC headed by Justice Baqir Ali Najafi granted bail to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader in Ramzan Sugar Mills, Punjab Saaf Pani and assets beyond means cases till May 28.
