Court defers Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza’s indictment to next hearing

Lahore: The special court on Friday has deferred the indictment of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly (PA) Hamza Shehbaz in a money-laundering case.

During the court proceeding, bail pleas of both the leaders could not be taken up due to a legal point after the copies of the FIA challan given to them were not readable.

Shehbaz Sharif told the court that he had not committed corruption of even a single penny. We saved billions of rupees in Saaf Pani and Orange Line Train projects, he informed.

“Bashir Memon’s statement is on record in which he stated that the government had directed to him to frame Shehbaz Sharif in a sedition case,” the PML-N leader added.

Subsequently, the court has adjourned the hearing on Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) money laundering challan till February 28.  

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had booked Shehbaz and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2020 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of Prevention of Corruption Act and r/w 3/4 of Anti Money Laundering Act. Suleman Shehbaz is absconding in the UK.

Fourteen others have also been named in the FIR under sections 5(2) and 5(3) (criminal misconduct) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The special court had on Jan 27 granted pre-arrest bail to Shehbaz and Hamza in the case.