LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday granted an exemption to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from appearing in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case after his counsel informed the court that the former premier is undergoing medical treatment in London.
The accountability judge approved the exemption plea of the PML-N supremo until Jan 17 on the basis of his medical reports.
Advocate Amjad Pervez appeared on behalf of the former premier stating that Sharif is unwell. To which, the judge directed the lawyer to furnish a medical report of Nawaz Sharif, if he receives, on the next hearing.
Meanwhile, the court extended the judicial remand of Nawaz’s nephew Yousuf Abbas Sharif in the same case.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has accused the Sharif family of using the mills for money-laundering and illegal transfer of its shares. The Bureau has mainly accused Maryam Nawaz of being involved in money laundering under the garb of sale/purchase of the sugar mills’ shares. It said she had become the largest shareholder of the mills in 2008, having over 12m shares and her assets had been found disproportionate to her income.
According to NAB, the mills was shifted from Gojra to Rahim Yar Khan in 2015 at a cost of Rs1.5bn and this amount had not so far been justified by the suspects.
