Hamza Shahbaz arrested by NAB, due to rejection of bail plea

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz has been arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from inside the Lahore High Court (LHC) in respect of two cases regarding money laundering and holding assets beyond means.
Hamza left with the NAB team, who was taken to the Thokar Niaz Baig offices of the accountability watchdog.
A two-member LHC bench, headed by Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi, dismissed the bail applications filed by Hamza.
Prior to his arrest,  Hamza while speaking to the media, said that not even a “one rupee” corruption could be proven against him. “I will quit politics if it is proven that I was involved in corrupt practices,” he said.
Hamza, the son of PML-N president and National Assembly opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif, is facing inquiries in the cases related to Ramzan Sugar Mills, money laundering and assets beyond means.
His arrest comes a day after former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was arrested by NAB in Islamabad.
On April 5, the accountability watchdog had failed in its bid to arrest Hamza — in a case of money laundering and owning assets beyond means — as it faced strong resistance from the Sharif family’s security men as well as PML-N supporters.
On April 6, NAB faced another embarrassing day as its second attempt to arrest the PML-N leader remained unsuccessful. The five-hour siege of PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif’s Model Town residence by the Lahore NAB and police ended after the LHC restrained the bureau from arresting Hamza, granting him protective bail.