Salman Shehbaz returns to Pakistan after four years

Salman Shehbaz returns to Pakistan after four years

Pakistan

Salman Shehbaz returns to Pakistan after four years

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Salman Shehbaz, son of Prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif, has returned to Pakistan after years in exile in the wee hours of Sunday.

Salman Shehbaz reached Islamabad Airport on flight number SV-726. The prime minister’s son, who had been living in London for last four years, had filed protective bail plea in the court to escape arrest.

Salman stated in his appeal, “I want to return to Pakistan to stand before the court in the case against me.” He has asked for protective bail so that he could appear in court to defend himself.

In the petition, it was said that a false case of money laundering was filed while the allegations of money laundering were false and baseless and all his shares were registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

Salman Shahbaz has said that he has been in the UK since October 27, 2018 but never received a notice from the FIA. He also stated that the FIA had filed a case against him in his absence after he went abroad in 2018 while the case was made in 2020 and after that, he has declared a proclaimed offender so the court should grant two weeks’ protective bail.

On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stopped Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting Salman Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival from London.

The IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan passed the orders while hearing Salman Shehbaz’s plea, seeking protective bail.

At the outset of the hearing, Salman Shehbaz’s counsel said his client will return to Pakistan on December 11 via Saudi Airlines and pleaded the court to grant protective bail.

The IHC CJ remarked that the client should be in-person for protective bail. Later, the court barred FIA from arresting Salman Shehbaz upon his arrival at the Islamabad airport and directed him to surrender himself before the IHC by December 13.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son Salman Shehbaz decided to return to Pakistan.

It is worth mentioning here that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had written a letter to the UK government to hand over Salman, who was wanted by the accountability watchdog under money laundering charges and the Telegraphic Transfer scandal.

It is important to note that Salman was wanted by the accountability watchdog due to allegations of money laundering and the telegraphic transfer scandal. National Accountability Bureau had issued a letter to the UK government requesting to turn him over.

A 2019 accountability court had also issued non-bail-able orders for Salman Shehbaz’s arrest in a case involving money laundering.

The Lahore special central court declared Salman Shehbaz to be a perpetual proclaimed criminal on July 15 of this year due to his continued absence from court proceedings.