LAHORE (APP): An accountability court on Wednesday recorded statements of two witnesses in a money laundering case against Shehbaz Sharif family.
Accountability Court Judge Syed Jawadul Hassan conducted the case proceedings, wherein the jail authorities produced Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz on expiry of their judicial remand term.
During the hearing, Shehbaz Sharif came on the rostrum and submitted that the National Accountability Bureau made the case against him over allegations of money laundering, kick backs and others. He submitted that a British newspaper had also levelled similar allegations against him but the newspapers’ counsel admitted that they did not have any evidence during the hearing of a case in London High Court.
However, the court remarked that the NAB claimed that it had evidence in connection with the case. The court questioned whether the final decision had come in the London case, adding that if he (Shehbaz) was sure then he should move an acquittal application along with the verdict of London case and the same would be decided.
At this stage, the NAB prosecutor also objected that the London case did not have any link with the current reference.
Subsequently, the court recorded the statements of two witnesses and adjourned further hearing till February 17. The court summoned more witnesses on the next date of hearing.
The NAB had nominated 16 persons as accused in the case. However, only 10, out of 16, were indicted yet. Besides Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz, Javeria Ali, Fazl Dad Abbasi, Rashid Karamat, Usman, Masroor Anwar, Nisar Ahmad, Shoaib Qamar and Qasim Qayyum had been indicted in the case. However, Salman Shehbaz, Nusrat Shehbaz, Rabia Imran, Syed Muhammad Tahir Naqvi, Haroon Yousaf Zai and another could not be indicted due to their absence.
In a reference, comprising 55 volumes, the bureau had alleged that Shehbaz Sharif family committed massive money laundering of Rs 7 billion. Yasir Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmad, Shahid Rafique and Aftab were made approvers in the reference.
