Shehbaz Sharif arrested in another graft case

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif was on Saturday arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with another corruption case pertaining to Ramzan Sugar Mills.

Sharif, who has been in NAB custody in the Aashiana Housing Scheme case, was on Saturday produced before the accountability court in Lahore, as his transit remand expired on Friday, Geo News reported.

In the Sugar Mills case, a bridge amounting to Rs. 500 million was built to facilitate the mills. Sharif, during his tenure as the Punjab chief minister, had allegedly issued illegal orders for the construction of the bridge, according to The Express Tribune.

During the hearing, a NAB prosecutor said, "We are arresting Shehbaz today on November 10 in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case." The prosecutor added, "The new case is different and we have evidence in the ongoing case."

Sharif's counsel, Amjad Pervaiz, also said, "The new request that has been submitted in court has been filed on the wrong basis. The law states that a man who has been arrested in one case will be considered arrested in other cases as well."

On October 5, Sharif was arrested by the NAB on charges of misusing authority and corruption in the Rs 14 billion Ashiana Housing Scheme during his tenure as the Punjab Chief Minister (2013 to 2018).

The PML-N chief has, however, denied any wrongdoings and called the allegations as "baseless".