LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore on Monday extended interim bail of Usman Buzdar, former chief minister of Punjab, in a case pertaining to awarding a liquor licence to a hotel in violation of relevant laws.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) suspects Buzdar allegedly received Rs50 million in bribe to force the Excise and Taxation Department to issue a liquor licence to a hotel in violation of the law.
At the outset of the hearing, the court asked a prosecutor representing the dirty money watchdog if they needed Buzdar’s custody in the case.
During the last hearing in the case, his counsel, Barrister Momin Malik, said there was not an iota of evidence on record to suggest the former chief minister derived any illegal pecuniary advantage or benefit in any manner whatsoever.
He said no offence was made out against the petitioner for want of arrest under any provision of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
Subsequently, the court extended Buzdar’s bail by December 19.
