The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted Suleman Shehbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, protective bail for 14 days in two distinct charges of money laundering and acquiring assets outside of known sources of income.
Suleman, who returned to Pakistan two days ago after four years of self-exile in London, has been named in an assets-beyond-means reference and is a defendant in a money laundering case filed with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
He has been deemed a proclaimed offender in both cases.
The IHC last week prevented the two authorities from detaining him in the assets-beyond-means reference while considering Suleman’s petition for protective bail, which would have allowed him to appear in court for a trial.
However, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq noted that protective bail could not be granted in absence of the accused’s actual presence and ordered Suleman to appear before the IHC by December 13 (today).
The IHC heard each of his requests for protective bail in the two instances separately.
Suleman went before the IHC with his attorney Amjad Pervez to request bail in the FIA case. The attorney informed the IHC that his client was scheduled to go before a Lahore special court that is hearing the Rs16 billion money laundering case against him.
Suleman’s protected bail of 14 days was approved by the judge, who also gave him a deadline by which to appear in court.
Later, he appeared before a division bench made up of Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan and IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq to request protective bail in the NAB reference. His protective bail was approved for 14 days at the hearing.
