PML-N President and former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif told an accountability court in Lahore on Thursday that his decision not to cut the sugarcane support price and going against any subsidy to sugar millers caused a loss of billions of rupees to his family, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Shehbaz made these remarks as he along with his daughter Javeria appeared before the accountability court in connection with the hearing of the money laundering reference in which his family members are also nominated.

During the hearing, the PML-N president rubbished the charges and said the NAB had fabricated the case despite the fact that he served the province while trying to save every penny.

Talking about his tenure as the Punjab chief minister, Shehbaz recalled that the Sindh government at that time first fixed the sugarcane support price at Rs182 but suddenly slashed the same to Rs155.

However, the Sindh High Court intervened and determined the rate at Rs160 along with Rs12 as subsidy, thus fixing the support price at Rs172, Shehbaz said while explaining his point.

But in Punjab, said the PML-N president, he neither reduced the sugar price nor give any subsidy to the millers, thus even affecting his family businesses.

There was a storm in Punjab with the representative body of sugar mills owners sending multiple applications, but he did not succumb to the pressure and stick to the decision which was against the business interests of his own sons, Shehbaz argued.  

Later, the accountability court judge, Jawad-ul-Hassan assured him of listening to his stance during the hearing at later stages. The entire world saw that there were headlines during his tenure as the chief minister, the judge observed.

Afterward, the court allowed Shehbaz and Rabiya to leave the courtroom as they were provided with the copies of the reference.

Meanwhile, Hamza Shehbaz could not be presented before the court as the officials said that he wasn’t feeling well as the court adjourned further hearing till September 14.

On August 27, the accountability had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Suleman Shehbaz who is currently in the UK.

Meanwhile, arrest warrants were also issued for Ali Ahmed Khan and Haroon Yousaf Aziz – the two sons-in-law of Shehbaz Sharif – as well as Tahir Naqvi while his wife Nusrat Shehbaz and daughters were also again directed through notices to appear before the court.