PM, son’s indictment in Rs16b case postponed again
ISLAMABAD: The indictment of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his son, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, in a Rs16 billion money laundering case was delayed again on Saturday ater the premier submited an application to be exempted from the hearing.
A special court in Lahore had, last month, directed both accused to ensure their presence at the next date of hearing on May 14 for the framing of charges against them.
When the hearing resumed, their lawyer, Amjad Pervaiz, submited an application on Shehbaz Sharif’sbehalf,seekingexemptionfromappearance.
The application stated that the premier was scheduled to return from his visit to the United
Kingdom on May 13 but was delayed since an appointment with his medical consultant could not be set up before 12:30pm Saturday.
Shahbaz Sharif was a cancer survivor and a patient of chronic backache and his medical checkup had been long overdue since the previous Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTI) government did not allow him to fly abroad, it stated.
The application further stated that Shahbaz also had to reschedule his return so he could visit the United Arab Emirates to offer his condolences on the passing away of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“Thenon-appearanceofthepetitionerisneither malafide nor intentional, rather, the same is on the account of the above said reason,” it added.
Subsequently, Presiding Judge of the Special Court (Central-i) Ijaz Hassan Awan accepted the application and extended Shehbaz and Hamza pre-arrest bails till May 21.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had booked Shehbaz Sharif and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2020 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of Prevention of Corruption Act and r/w 3/4 of Anti Money Laundering Act. Suleman Shehbaz is in the UK.
Fourteen others have also been named in the FIR under sections 5(2) and 5(3) (criminal misconduct) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The special court had on Jan 27 granted pre-arrest bail to
Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza in the case.
In a separate development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has made it clear that any pressure or threat could not influence its decision.
It was referring to former premier Imran Khan’s recent speech in which he repeated his criticism of the ECP and its chief.
Imran raised questions on the impartiality of the ECP hearing references seeking the disqualification of 24 members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAS) of his party on account of Article 63-A of the Constitution. Prior to that, the PTI chairman is exerting pressure on the ECP for a decision in its favour.