The Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz on Tuesday appeared before an accountability court in Lahore in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Justice Najamul Hassan presided over the hearing of the case and expressed annoyance over absence of Shahbaz. “How could Shahbaz Sharif move abroad? Should have he departed without permission?” he asked.

An appeal – on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif’s behalf – has been filed seeking his exemption from personal appearance for the day.

Hamza was summoned only in Ramzan Sugar Mills case whereas Shahbaz was directed to appear in both Ashiana Iqbal Housing scheme and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases.

Meanwhile, strict security measures have been taken around the court and all routes leading to the court have been sealed with blockades and barbed wires.

Heavy contingents of security personnel have been deployed inside and outside of the court’s premises.

On April 9, the court indicted Hamza and his father Shahbaz in the same cases.

However, both accused had denied the charges against them, and maintained that they had saved Rs2300 billion, assuring that the money was not misused.

Later, the court had summoned witnesses and adjourned the hearing.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) had extended Hamza’s interim bail till April 25 in an ongoing investigation into assets beyond known sources of income and money laundering case, and barred the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore from arresting him.