CJP orders Sharifs’ to deposit Rs1m in dam fund

-Sharifs’ lawyer had sought more time to file response in sugar mills’ relocation case

ISLAMABAD:

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) on Thursday directed the Sharif family’s lawyer to deposit Rs1 million in the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dam fund following the counsel’s request for more time to consult with his clients regarding the sugar mills case.

A Supreme Court (SC) bench headed by the CJP was hearing the case pertaining to the relocation of sugar mills owned by the Sharif family to southern Punjab.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) last year had disapproved of the Sharifs’ sugar mills being relocated to southern Punjab, ordering them to be shifted out of the region. The Sharif family had then pleaded to the SC and had subsequently managed to get a hearing for earlier this year.

In his remarks during Thursday’s hearing, the chief justice observed that all directors belonged to Nawaz Sharif’s family. There was the deception that a power plant was being constructed instead of sugar mills, Nisar remarked, adding that there were bad intentions behind the mills’ relocation.

The Sharif family’s lawyer asked the bench for more time to prepare the case. To this, the chief justice remarked that Rs1 million should be deposited in the dam fund as compensation for extra time.

Chief Justice Nisar adjourned the hearing till August 20, after ordering the lawyer to deposit the amount in the dam fund.