LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday adjourned hearing of money laundering reference against Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz due to unavailability of their counsel.

The court was told that defence counsel Amjad Pervez was out of the country and would return on December 9.

An associate of the counsel requested the court to adjourn the hearing. Shehbaz and Hamza were also present in the court.

Read more: New arrests in money laundering case might land Shahbaz Sharif in hot waters

Presiding Judge Naseem Ahmad Virk deferred the hearing till Dec 13 and directed NAB to present its witnesses for cross-examination.

The NAB alleged that the family members and benamidars of Shehbaz received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts. In addition to these remittances, the bureau said, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders, which were deposited in personal bank accounts of his sons Hamza and Suleman.

Shehbaz, his wife Nusrat and son Hamza had been indicted in the case. Being out of the country, Nusrat joined the trial proceedings through a pleader with the permission of the court.

Another accountability court also adjourned hearings of Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme references against Shehbaz, Hamza and others till Dec 13.