Court adjourns money laundering case against Shehbaz, others till Jan 6

LAHORE (APP): An accountability court on Monday adjourned hearing of money laundering case against Shehbaz Sharif family till January 6.

Accountability Court Judge Syed Jawadul Hassan conducted the case proceedings, wherein the jail authorities produced Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz.

An associate of Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel submitted that the senior counsel could not appear due to his engagements in the Supreme Court. He requested with the court to adjourn the proceedings.

At this, the judge remarked that he was also not well but he came to perform his duty, adding that the statements of the witnesses could be recorded in the presence of the associate.

To which, Shehbaz Sharif came to the rostrum and requested the court to adjourn the proceedings for today. He also told the court that the medical board had not visited him yet.

The court observed that it had already passed directions for the purpose. Subsequently, the court adjourned further proceedings till January 6 and also directed NAB witnesses and Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel to appear 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, Muhammad 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.