The Lahore High Court on Saturday barred the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) legislator and Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz till April 8 (tomorrow).
Following a petition filed by Hamza’s lawyer, LHC Chief Justice Sardar Shamim Ahmed held a brief hearing in his chambers and stopped the anti-graft body from arresting Hamza till Monday. He also summoned the record of the appeal filed for an interim bail.
According to the high court’s written order, an interim protective bail has been granted to Hamza ‘in order to enable the petitioner to approach the bench concerned for the hearing of a bail plea that was filed on April 4’.
The development came after a NAB team Saturday morning once again cordoned off PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s Model Town residence to arrest Hamza. A heavy contingents of police, Rangers and anti-riot force surrounded Shehbaz’s residence, 24 hours after the NAB first raided the PML-N president’s family residence to arrest his son.
Police had blocked all the roads leading to Hamza’s residence. Dozens of PML-N workers were also seen trying to get through barriers placed by police in order to reach Hamza’s house and clashing with police in the process. One worker also fainted during the clashes and was shifted to a hospital.
“We are here to arrest Hamza and should be allowed to go inside the house,” NAB Additional Director Chaudhry Asghar told PML-N lawyer Atta Tarrar outside the Shehbaz family residence. “We have Hamza’s arrest warrant,” he said.
Later speaking to media, the NAB additional director said, “We are not being allowed inside the residence to arrest Hamza and no one is cooperating with us.” “Hamza is a renowned politician and should behave like one. He should not hide behind workers,” he asserted. “The whole Pakistan is watching that a renowned politician is hiding from arrest,” he said. “I do not have any weapon on me and I am not a terrorist. I am here to arrest Hamza as per the law. There are multiple cases against Hamza,” he added.
Following a nearly five-hour standoff outside the house, the NAB team returned around 4pm after the LHC granted interim bail to Hamza until April 8.
After the NAB team left Model Town, Hamza appeared before charged supporters and said that the LHC had said that Hamza has been cooperating with the anti-graft watchdog and there was no need for arresting him. He thanked his supporters for standing before NAB’s team like an ‘impenetrable wall’ as if they were protecting their own house, adding that “these are not PML-N workers, they are my family.”
The PML-N lawmaker then pointed his guns towards the government and said that the prime minister should ‘stop lying and acting out of jealousy and bias’. “Pakistan’s economy is drowning, we don’t have money for debt servicing. I ask them (government) to draw a road map to fix the economy and provide relief to the poor. People are tired of hearing [about] thieves,” he said.
“Why should I surrender when the court has provided me legal protection. Lahore High Court has ordered that I be informed 10 days before arrest. NAB should implement the orders of LHC’s divisional bench,” Hamza said. “This raid has refreshed memories of October 12,” he added.
NAB spokesman, meanwhile, in a statement urged PML-N to avoid politicising a legal action against Hamza Shehbaz. “Everyone is equal before the law and arrest warrants of Hamza Shehbaz are legal and implementable,” the statement said. “The workers and security guards of PML-N were vitiating the atmosphere on behest of their leadership and interrupting government functionaries to perform their official duties. NAB has decided to seek the help of Rangers to implement arrest warrants due to security situation. Hamza is hereby formally informed to avoid taking law into his hand and surrender himself before the national institute,” it added.
Speaking to media after the LHC stopped NAB from arresting Hamza, PML-N spokesperson Mariyum Aurangzeb thanked God for the decision and said that PML-N’s lawyers had gone to court to ‘challenge the prime minister’s steps to spread state terrorism’. She accused NAB of displaying ‘hooliganism’ and said that PML-N workers, who had gathered near the PML-N leader’s house, were beaten up. “This is state terrorism,” she declared, and added that the ‘inefficient and incapable’ government is pulling a ‘media stunt’ to mislead the people.
“NAB conducted an illegal raid on the directions of the prime minister,” she claimed.”Despite a discussion yesterday (Friday), NAB’s team, after conspiring with the government, returned today (Saturday),” she said.
She said that Shahzad Akbar, the prime minister’s aide, remained in contact with the director general of NAB’s Lahore chapter and ‘passed on’ the prime minister’s instructions to the anti-graft watchdog. She demanded that a forensic test of Akbar’s phone should be conducted.
Punjab Chief Minister’s Spokesman Dr Shahbaz Gill, however, distanced his government from the raid, saying this was an ‘independent operation’ undertaken by NAB. He said police has been given authority to use force while staying within the ambit of the law. He said no law will be violated, adding that the government does not believe in political victimisation.
Meanwhile, NAB has lodged a case against security guards of Hamza Shehbaz for stopping them from entering his residence. Provisions related to interference in government matters and vandalism have been included in the FIR.
NAB’s driver Mumtaz Hussain said in his complaint that the team raided Hamza’s house for arrest in money laundering issue during which PML-N leader’s guards loaded their guns. Security guards of opposition leader also tortured me, the driver recorded.
