Money-laundering case

Don’t waste our time doing political talk, court to Shahbaz

By Our correspondent

LAHORE: The Accountability Court (AC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of money-laundering and assets-beyond-means reference against PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and his family members by February 10. The court adjourned after the defense counsel completed cross-examining of a prosecution witness. The court also summoned more witnesses for next hearing. The jail authorities produced Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz amid tight security as heavy contingents of the law enforcement had cordoned off the court premises.

Shahbaz informed the court that two to three of his medical tests were still pending despite the court orders. Shahbaz also presented Transparency International report about Pakistan, saying that in PML-N government corruption index was going down while in the government of anti-corruption champions, corruption is increasing in the country. He said that nobody can prove corruption of a single penny against him till the day judgment. To which, the judge remarked that if you (Shahbaz) are innocent then you will be acquitted from the charges. The judge also barred Shahbaz from delivering political talks in the courtroom and waste court's time.

Previously, the court had declared PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif’s wife Nusrat Shahbaz, a proclaimed offender in this case. The court had also declared Shahbaz’s son Suleman Shahbaz, daughter Rabia Imran and son-in-law Ali Imran Yousaf as proclaimed offenders in reference against them.

In the reference against Shahbaz family, the National Accountability Bureau had claimed that in the last 30 years, the Shahbaz family assets ballooned from Rs 2 million to Rs 7,000 million that the family had failed to justify.

The NAB alleged the accused Shahbaz Sharif, in connivance with his co-accused family members, Benamidars, front men, close associates, employees and moneychangers, had developed an organized system of money-laundering for accumulation of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of Rs 7,328 million.

The NAB had nominated former Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, his wife Nusrat Shahbaz, sons Hamza Shahbaz, Suleman Shahbaz, daughters Rabia Imran and Javeria Ali in the reference. Suleman Shahbaz is already a proclaimed offender in this case.