Nusrat Shehbaz indicted in money laundering case

LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday indicted Nusrat Shehbaz, the wife of leader of the opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, through her pleader in a money laundering reference.

Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz appeared before the court while an application for one-time exemption from personal appearance was filed on behalf of Shehbaz Sharif on medical grounds.

A lawyer told the court that Shehbaz had been advised bed rest after falling from a staircase in his home. Presiding Judge Nasim Ahmad Virk allowed the application and proceeded to indictment of Nusrat Shehbaz through her pleader Advocate Nawaz Chaudhry, who received copies of the reference on behalf of the accused.

Nusrat is in London and the Lahore High Court had allowed her to appoint a pleader to join the trial proceedings on her behalf. The judge directed the prosecution to present its witnesses on Oct 18.

Shehbaz, his son Hamza, daughter Javeria Ali and others who joined the trial had already been indicted on Nov 11, 2020. Other accused include Fazal Dad Abbasi, Rashid Karamat, Muhammad Usman, Masroor Anwar, Nisar Ahmad, Shoaib Qamar and Qasim Qayyum.

NAB accused that the family members and benamidars of Shehbaz received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts. In addition to these remittances, the bureau said, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders, which were deposited in personal bank accounts of his sons Hamza and Suleman.

Accountability Court No V Judge Sajid Ali also adjourned hearing in the references of Ramzan Sugar Mills and Punjab Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme till Oct 18. The judge summoned prosecution witnesses in both references on the next hearing. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) workers gathered outside the court, chanted slogans in support of their leaders and showered rose petals on the vehicle of Hamza.