Shahbaz, Hamza indictment: Evidence, proof shared with media were factual, says Shahzad

LAHORE: Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability Barrister Shahzad Akbar on Wednesday said that today is a historic day as Shahbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz and others had been indicted by an accountability court in money laundering, assets beyond means and corruption reference.

He said the prosecution had produced a number of evidence pertaining to involvement of Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz and others in corruption and money laundering, adding that now the trial would run and the case would soon proceed towards its logical end.

Addressing a press conference here at the 90 Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, he said the indictment of Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz had proved that evidence and proof, shared with the media by him were real and factual, adding that today’s charge sheet against Shahbaz Sharif and his family consisted of 31 pages and 52 paragraphs, which indicated that they were involved in looting money and plundering national exchequer. Shahzad Akbar said that in this case, four accused including Salman Shahbaz, Ali Ahmad, Nisar Gull and Tahir Naqvi had been declared proclaimed offenders by the court, while efforts were being made to get them back.

This NAB’s reference was of about Rs7.3 billion in which the money was looted and transferred through telegraphic transfer which was no doubt a legal mean of transfer money but Shahbaz Sharif, his family and other accused had used telegraphic transfer medium to transfer ill-gotten money to their accounts, he maintained.

The adviser said that Mushtaq & Co’s owner Mushtaq, his son Yasir Mushtaq had become approvers in this case who also revealed that how they managed to transfer illegal money, earned through kickbacks and corruption to Shahbaz Sharif family’s accounts besides money laundering through telegraphic transfers.

Shahzad Akbar said that other accused including Shahid Mehmood and Aftab owned money exchange company, while accused Qasim Qayyum was involved in handing over cash to be transferred to accounts of Shahbaz Sharif and his family members abroad and their businesses, adding that all the evidence and testimonies had been surfaced which would be enough to take this case to its logical end.

Shahbaz Sharif and his family members had never cross examined the witnesses and answered the questions being asked in this case but they always tried to find out an escape by using lame excuses and delaying tactics, he said and added that such tactics would not further work as they had to give answers of their doing and corruptions.

Shahzad Akbar said that after the year 2008, Shahbaz Sharif used telegraphic transfers to flourish his businesses as he also made payments of his bulletproof vehicle and properties through these telegraphic transfers, adding that in this case, the credentials of more than 70 common people were used to make telegraphic transfers, whose economic condition was not good enough, which proved the fraud of Shahbaz Sharif and his family.

The adviser said that they were asking for ‘NRO’ to protect themselves and their illegal money, when the government was trying to pass Financial Action Task Force (FATF) related laws but Prime Minister Imran Khan had categorically denied any ‘NRO’ to them, adding that if their demands were accepted regarding National Accountability Bureau, they had never been indicted in such cases.

To a question, he said that the people of the country had given a mandate to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for ensuring accountability and transparency due to which the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan was striving to provide enabling environment for accountability institutions so that prompt justice could be done, he asserted.

Shahzad Akbar said NAB’s arrest process was properly scrutinised as the courts thoroughly reviewed the arrest grounds when the accused was appeared before it so that the same happened in this particular case.

To another question about Nawaz Sharif, he said that Nawaz Sharif was convicted and the government had allowed him to go abroad for medical treatment on humanitarian grounds but Nawaz Sharif had betrayed, adding that all out efforts were being made to bring him back to country as the talks between Pakistan and British governments were in process pertaining to this matter. The deport option besides others were also being considered as Nawaz Sharif’s visa would expire during the current month.