LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore on Monday granted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif exemption from personal appearance in Ramazan Sugar Mills and Ashiana-e-Iqbal cases.

The court adjourned the hearing of both cases until July 8.

The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly submitted an application in the court stating that he couldn’t turn up before it as he was in Islamabad to take part in the ongoing budget session in the lower house of Parliament.

He, therefore, requested the court to grant him exemption from personal appearance.

On April 23, Shehbaz Sharif was released from Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail after a full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted him post-arrest bail in a money laundering reference. He was released from the prison after nearly seven months.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and comprising Justice Aalia Neelum and Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi announced a unanimous verdict, granting bail to Shehbaz.

It is noteworthy that the larger bench was constituted after a two-member bench gave a split decision and  the matter was forwarded to Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan.