PM Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz Acquitted in Ramzan Sugar Mills Case

Lahore: An anti-corruption court on Thursday acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case after both the defence and prosecution completed their arguments.

The case dates back to 2018 when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a reference against Shehbaz, who was the chief minister of Punjab at the time, and his son, alleging that they misused their authority, causing a loss of Rs213 million to the national exchequer. The NAB claimed that Shehbaz had ordered the construction of a drain in the Chiniot district to benefit Ramzan Sugar Mills, a company owned by his sons Hamza and Suleman.

On October 17, 2024, the accountability court transferred the case to the anti-corruption court due to jurisdictional constraints following amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999. The revised law prevents the NAB from prosecuting cases involving alleged corruption of less than Rs500 million, whereas the allegations in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case involved Rs213 million.

After reserving its verdict, the anti-corruption court announced its decision on Thursday, granting the acquittal pleas of Shehbaz and Hamza. Defence counsel Amjad Pervaiz argued that the case was politically motivated and clarified that the decision to construct the drain was not made solely by the then-chief minister. Instead, he stated that the Punjab cabinet had approved the project as part of a broader development initiative for the region.

With the verdict, both Shehbaz and Hamza have been cleared of the charges, marking a significant legal victory for the prime minister and his son.