Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shehbaz were acquitted in the corruption case of Ramzan Sugar Mills.
The case, in progress since 2017, came from accusations according to which the Shehbaz family had facilitated the construction of a drainage system for Ramzan Sugar Mills in Chiniot, leading to a financial loss of RS213 million to the National Echiquier, Express News reported
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against the two political figures, accusing them of corruption on the construction of the drainage system in 2015.
During the procedure, the judge of the anti-corruption court, Sardar Muhammad Iqbal Dogar, said that no reason for condemnation existed, and that no punishment had come for the accused.
Shehbaz Sharif was arrested in October 2018, while Hamza was placed in police custody in June 2019. They were then caused by the High Court of Lahore.
The legal proceedings included several key dates where charges were taken, rejected and refined, the two people facing many periods of detention during the trial.
Lasr Week, the Ramzan Sugar Mills case took a dramatic turn while the complainant dissociated himself from the case, declaring in court that he had no objection to the acquittal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif.
Presenting before the anti-corruption court, the complainant Zulfiqar Ali told judge Sardar Muhammad Iqbal that he had not filed the complaint against the sharifs and that he was not aware of the request on which the case had been Launched.
“I withdraw this request,” he said. To this, the judge ordered Ali to submit an affidavit confirming his position.
Subsequently, Ali submitted the Affidavit, reiterating that he had no involvement in the case. In his declaration, he declared that he was not aware of the content of the complaint, had signed any request and had no knowledge of the construction of the drain of wastewater near Ramzan Sugar Mills, who found at the heart of the case.
“I have no objection if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif are acquitted,” Ali said in his affidavit.
The judge asked if the complainant’s declaration had been recorded previously, to which Ali responded in the negative.
