LHC issues notice to NAB on Shehbaz bail plea

LAHORE (APP): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued notice to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities for April 13 on a bail petition, filed by Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif in assets beyond means and money laundering case.

A division bench comprising Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural heard the post-arrest bail petition.

The petitioner’s counsel argued before the bench that the Bureau fabricated money laundering case against his client with mala fide intentions, as his client had already declared all his assets. He submitted that the Bureau had filed the challan (charge-sheet) against the petitioner and others whereas the trial was pending in an accountability court.

The counsel submitted that Shehbaz Sharif was behind the bars for past many months whereas conclusion of trial would take long time. He submitted that the Bureau had all the record and it did not have to recover anything from his client. He also said that many co-accused had already been granted relief of post-arrest bail in the case.

He submitted that his client could not perform his constitutional responsibilities as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. He also submitted that his client was 70 years old and a cancer survivor.

He submitted that under these circumstances, there was no reason to keep Shehbaz Sharif behind the bars and pleaded with the bench for grant of post-arrest bail, besides assuring that he would attend trial proceedings regularly.

The bench issued notice to the NAB authorities for April 13 and sought reply.

Shehbaz Sharif was arrested on Sept 28 after the LHC denied him further relief of pre-arrest bail in the case. He remained in the NAB custody for 23 days till the trial court sent him on judicial remand on Oct 20, 2020.

NAB had nominated 16 persons as the accused in the case. However, only 10 had been 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, while Suleman Shehbaz, Nusrat Shehbaz, Rabia Imran, Syed Muhammad Tahir Naqvi, Haroon Yousaf Zai and another could not be indicted due to their absence from case proceedings.

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 declared approvers in the reference.