Hamza Shahbaz withdraws bail plea in SC.

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a post-arrest bail petition filed by PML-N vice-president and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz after his counsel withdrew the plea.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Yahyah Afridi had resumed hearing the plea, which sought bail ifor Hamza in a money laundering and assets beyond means corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The PML-N leader had approached the apex court in April 2020, two months after the Lahore High Court (LHC) denied him bail in the money laundering case but granted it in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Hamza then sought bail on the grounds of being vulnerable to coronavirus in jail but the LHC did not agree with the grounds. Following this, the counsel withdrew the application and moved the apex court.

It may be added here that Hamza was arrested in June 2019 from inside the LHC in relation to two cases pertaining to money laundering and accumulating assets beyond means of income.

During today's hearing, Justice Masood asked Hamza's counsel if he wanted to pursue the case on the basis of...