LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) - The Lahore High Court has issued a detailed written verdict dismissing a petition challenging the acquittal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a money laundering case.
The decision was announced by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, who rejected the plea filed by petitioner Vishal Shakir. The petitioner had challenged Sharif’s acquittal in a case investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency.
According to the verdict, the petitioner was a private individual and not an affected party in the case. The court stated that the authority to challenge an acquittal lies with the federal government or the public prosecutor. It also noted that the petition was filed three years and four months after the acquittal decision.
The court observed that the petitioner’s counsel failed to identify any illegality in the acquittal. It emphasized that the trial court had granted relief to Shehbaz Sharif due to lack of solid evidence, in line with the legal principle of giving the benefit of doubt to the accused.
The verdict further stated that the trial court had full access to the record and was legally empowered to assess it. The high court ruled that the decision could only be overturned if it was found to be weak or unlawful, which was not the case.
Additionally, the court upheld the registrar office’s objection and formally dismissed the petition against the acquittal.