Court rejects FIA's acquittal of Suleman Shehbaz in money laundering case
Pakistan
Court rejects FIA's acquittal of Suleman Shehbaz in money laundering case
LAHORE (Dunya News) – A special court on Saturday rejected a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report giving clean chit to Suleman Shehbaz, son of prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, in money laundering case.
Issuing written verdict, the court ordered that Suleman Shehbaz and Tahir Naqvi to appear on next hearing as accused.
The court observed that it is not writing anything about Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz after the former judge Ijaz Awan had acquitted them.
The written decision also ordered Suleman Shehbaz and Tahir Naqvi to submit Rs50,000 bonds each.
The decision stated that material against Suleman Shehbaz and Tahir Naqvi is available and ordered the concerned officer to present documents in the court.
In the written decision, the lawyers of Suleman Shehbaz and other accused have been asked to give arguments on the acquittal pleas.
On Jan 21, the FIA investigators submitted a challan in the special court central during the hearing of a bail plea filed by the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to the challan, the suspects Suleman and Tahir Naqvi were not involved in receiving kickbacks and had no link with the case, the judge remarked.
After reviewing the challan, the judge asked the suspects if they wanted to withdraw their bail petitions. To which, they took back the pleas for pre-arrest bail in the money-laundering case.
The development came days after Suleman Shehbaz appeared before an investigation team in the FIR 39/2020 related to the Ramzan Sugar Mills and benami accounts to submit his reply. Last year, the special court had acquitted PM Shehbaz and his elder son, Hamza Shehbaz, in this case registered against them in November 2020.
Read More: Salman Shehbaz returns to Pakistan after four years
The special central court declared Suleman Shehbaz a perpetual proclaimed offender in July last due to his continued absence from court proceedings.However, he secured a bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in December 2022 and reached back Pakistan after ending his four-year self-exile.
