LAHORE – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif in a case related to alleged money laundering through his sugar mills.
The Anti-Corruption Circle of the agency has directed Shehbaz, who was released from Jail after seven months in a NAB case, to appear before the investigation team on June 22. He has also been directed to bring relevant documents.
The former Punjab chief minister is facing allegations of money laundering through Ramazan Sugar Mills and Al Arabiya Sugar Mills. Furthermore, he and his family members have also been accused of Rs25 billion money laundering, illegal sugar hoarding and gambling.
The notice issued to the younger brother of former prime minister Nawaz Shairf states that the political leaders was sent questionnaire twice but no reply was submitted.
It says that the FIA sent a questionnaire in December 2020 seeking reply of five questions, adding that a reminder was also issued to him in Janaury 2021.
According to the probing agency, a team of the FIA also visited Shehbaz Sharif when he was in jail but he did not give satisfactory replies.
The notice says that the former Punjab CM could be arrested over non-compliance.
On the other hand, Federal Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has asked the courts to hear the cases against Shehbaz Sharif on daily basis.
Back in April, Shehbaz Sharif was released from Kot Lakhpat Jail nearly after seven months detention.
His son Hamza Shehbaz, the leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly, and a number of party workers were present outside the jail to receive Sharif, who was granted bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a money laundering case.
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, had issued a unanimous verdict, granting him bail against surety bonds worth Rs5 million.
During the hearing, the NAB prosecutor informed the court that members of Shahbaz Sharif’s family are nominated in the case.
He added that Suleman Shehbaz, Nusrat Shahbaz, Rabia Imran, Haroon Yousuf, Syed Tahir Naqvi and Ali Hamid are absconding in the case as they failed to appear before the team despite issuance of summons to them.
Talking about assets of former Punjab chief minister, the NAB lawyer said that Shehbaz held assets to tune of Rs2.1 million in 1990 and they had risen to Rs10.48 million.
Bukhari further said that the opposition leader showed assets of Rs7.32 billion in 2018 and all the assets were made after 2005.
He also shared details of funds received by members of Sharif family through TTs.
After the NAB prosecutor concluded his arguments, Shahbaz Sharif’s lawyer Amjad Pervaiz said that the anti-graft buster had nominated the members of his client’s family with malafide intentions.
He said that the honourable court is hearing case of bail but the NAB lawyer had provided details of money laundering.
The three-member bench after hearing the arguments issued bail to the opposition leader.
NAB arrested Shehbaz on September 28, 2020 in the money laundering reference after the LHC refused to extend his pre-arrest bail last year. He was first granted interim pre-arrest bail last year on June 3.
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/pm-imrans-cabinet-approves-adding-shehbaz-sharif-to-ecl/
