LAHORE   -        An accountability court on Friday extended until December 20 the judicial remand of Yousaf Abbas, a nephew of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case.

Yousaf Abbas was produced before Accountability Court Judge Ameer Muhammad Khan after expiry of his remand term.  The court directed the investigation officer to file reference as soon as possible. On the request of the suspect, the court allowed his medical check-up.

The court had exempted Nawaz Sharif from personal appearance for a period of four weeks, whereas Maryam Nawaz was also exempted till filing of the reference in the case.

The Sharif family had been accused of using CSM for money-laundering and illegal transfer of its shares.

In the case, the accountability court had granted Maryam Nawaz and her father Nawaz Sharif an exemption from appearing before the court. Nawaz was granted an exemption for four weeks while Maryam until the reference in the case is filed.

NAB alleged Maryam is involved in money laundering through investments of heavy money being the main shareholder of the mills.

Meanwhile, a sessions court on Friday directed actress and singer Meesha Shafi to appear today again for getting her statement recorded in a defamation suit filed by singer and actor Ali Zafar.

Yesterday Meesha appeared before Additional District and Sessions Judge Amjad Ali Shah in connection with the Rs1 billion defamation case. The actress appeared for getting her statement recorded but the court adjourned the matter until today and directed Meesha to ensure her presence on the next date of hearing after a brief hearing.

Meesha appeared in the court for the first time after start of the case. Ali Zafar had filed the under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, after being accused of harassment. He denied all allegations levelled against him in a statement by Meesha Shafi.

In April 2018, Meesha Shafi had accused Zafar of harassing her on `more than one occasions.’

Also Meesha has filed a Rs2 billion damages suit against Ali Zafar alleging that the latter has leveled false allegations against her on media. Meesha’s suit includes Rs1 billion damages for “mental torture and agony”, and Rs1bn for the loss of goodwill and reputation caused by his statements. She claims in her suit that Zafar’s statements regarding her were false, malicious and defamatory and that his statements injured her reputation.