An anti-corruption court on Thursday cleared Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz of all charges in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case after both the defence and prosecution concluded their arguments, reports Dawn.
The case dates back to 2018 when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) accused Shehbaz Sharif—who was the Punjab chief minister at the time—and Hamza Shehbaz of misusing authority. NAB alleged that they had caused a loss of Rs213 million to the national treasury by ordering the construction of a drain in the Chiniot district primarily for the benefit of Ramzan Sugar Mills, which is owned by Shehbaz’s sons, Hamza and Suleman.
On October 17, 2024, an accountability court transferred the case to the anti-corruption court, citing a lack of jurisdiction. This change followed amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, which now prevents NAB from pursuing cases involving amounts below Rs500 million. Since the alleged corruption in this case was Rs213 million, it no longer fell under NAB’s authority.
After reviewing the arguments, the anti-corruption court, which had earlier reserved its verdict, accepted the acquittal pleas of Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz.
Defence lawyer Amjad Pervaiz argued that the case was politically motivated. He maintained that the decision to construct the drain was not made by the then-chief minister alone but was approved by the Punjab cabinet as part of a broader development project for the area.
With the verdict now delivered, the case has come to a close, marking the end of legal proceedings against the prime minister and his son in this matter.
