National Accountability Bureau recommended closing the reference against former Punjab CM Usman Buzdar on Thursday. Buzdar had been booked in a liquor license case.

NAB’s representative told the court that the bureau had decided to close the reference in a regional general meeting. The matter has been sent to Chairman NAB who will make the final decision.

The counsel for the hotel involved in the case also argued that the high court had already termed the license legal. He added that after amendments to the law, the proceedings can no longer continue.

After hearing the NAB prosecutor’s opinion the court wound up the case.

Usman Buzdar who served as Punjab’s CM from 2018 to 2022 was accused of misuing authority to award a liquor license to a hotel in Lahore.

The case said that the liquor license had been awarded to hotel while it was still under construction, in violation of rules. The L-2 liquor licence can only be awarded to hotels having 4/5 star rating, which the hotel in question did not meet.

It had been alleged that a sum of Rs 50 million had been paid to a relative of the ex-CM to get the license.