A special court on Saturday summoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shehbaz and others on September 7 for indictment in a Rs16 billion money laundering case registered against them by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Special Court Central-I Judge Ijaz Hassan Awan passed the order while hearing the case.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son former Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz could not appear before the court and they filed an application before it through their counsels, pleading with the court to allow them exemption from personal appearance in the case for one day.
Sharifs’ counsel told the court that PM Shehbaz was engaged with the meetings regarding important national level matters and he had also not been well and had also been advised against travelling. He asked the court to allow them one-day exemption from personal appearance in the case. He also mentioned the prevailing Monsoon spell as the major reason due to which his client could not come from Islamabad to Lahore.
For Hamza’s exemption, the counsel said that he was not feeling well as he had pain in his back and also produced a certificate of his present condition.
However, the FIA opposed the pleas filed by the Sharifs, pointing out that “since the day he was granted interim bail in the case, his client [PM Shehbaz] did not appear before the court.
On it, the counsel of Shehbaz Sharif said that there was strong argument about the absence of his client in the case.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Awan allowed one-day exemption to both PM Shehbaz and his son former Punjab CM Hamza from personal appearance in the court.
During the proceedings, the FIA also submitted details about assets of PM’s son Suleman Shehbaz and said that he had agricultural land in Chiniot.
“We have gathered details of the bank accounts of Suleman Shehbaz,” said the FIA prosecutor while submitting the written report on assets and properties of PM Shehbaz’s son Suleman Shehbaz who was in London these days and was declared an absconder for deliberately violating the court’s orders regarding his appearance before the court. The agency submitted details of 19 bank accounts of Suleman Shehbaz.
The FIA prosecutor said that the details of Suleman’s assets and properties were mentioned in the report. He also submitted details about the bank accounts of Tahir Naqvi – the co accused.
“We have written to some agencies and their replies are awaited,” said the prosecutor, adding that they submitted the details whatever they could obtain so far.
However, the counsel for Suleman Shehbaz opposed the stance of FIA and said that properties of a suspect, after being declared absconder in the case, could not be confiscated till two years’ time. He contended that the suspect’s properties, however, could be confiscated only if he avoided submitting a reply even after two years’ time under the law.
The Sharifs’ counsel also argued that there was a difference between accounts of a company and individuals, pointing out that it needed to be confirmed whether the money was transferred directly into the account of the company or the suspect. He said that these assets could be even immovable properties.
At this, Justice Awan asked the FIA prosecutor if he had any objection.
On it, the law officer said that they did not have any objection, saying that “it is a legal point and they have no objection about it”.
The FIA also submitted the death certificate of Malik Maqsood alias Maqsood Chaprasi, saying that it was submitted after verification from NADRA.
Maqsood Chaprasi was a central figure in the case.
At this, the court stopped the proceedings of the case against the deceased, summoned PM Shehbaz, his son Hamza Shehbaz and others for indictment in the case and adjourned further hearing till September 7.
