An accountability court in Lahore adjourned the hearing of Ramzan Sugar Mills reference till December 7 as Hamza Shehbaz did not appear in person, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

The court accepted the plea submitted on behalf of the PML-N leader, which cited the death of his grandmother as the reason, saying he was busy dealing with the people visiting to offer their condolences.

When the defence counsel said that his client was on parole and the citizens had been visiting him, the judge – Amjad Nazir Chaudhry – remarked that he could have attended the hearing as the soyem [three-day period after burial] was over.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, who is also among the accused in the case, has already been exempted from appearing in person for the hearing. Both Shehbaz and Hamza were indicted in the case in August. 

Meanwhile, the issue of Hamza not appearing before the court for a previous hearing is lingering on, as Additional Home Secretary Adnan Ahmed informed the court that an inquiry committee comprising police officials had been formed to investigate the matter.

But the accountability court judge directed the additional home secretary to ensure that the probe was completed with the report submitted on the next hearing in which the responsibility should be clearly determined.