Money-laundering case: IHC grants 14-day protective bail to Suleman Shehbaz

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday has approved 14-day protective bail of Suleman Shehbaz, the son of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in the money-laundering case.

According to details, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son surrendered before the high court after Chief Justice Aamer Farooq took up his plea, seeking bail in the case.

During today’s hearing, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq was informed by Suleman's lawyer Amjad Pervez that his client has to appear before a special judge central in Lahore. Hence, granting his protective bail, the IHC directed him to appear before the special court within 14 days.

Ending his four-year of self-exile in London, Suleman returned to Pakistan on December 11, following the court’s order.

He had been living in UK since 2018 after Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) launched multiple cases against him ahead of the general elections.

As per the petitioner, he left Pakistan in 2018 and the case was registered against him in 2020. He further argued that FIA had not issued a call-up notice to him.

“I was declared a proclaimed offender by the court without any action,” he stressed.

The court had earlier ordered Suleman to surrender by December 13 and barred FIA and NAB authorities from arresting him till then.

Cases against Suleman

In 2019, an accountability court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Suleman Shehbaz in money laundering cases.

The FIA’s banking crime circle had claimed discovering billions of rupees stashed in the bank accounts of his staffs.

Following that, FIA registered a case against Shehbaz Sharif and his sons—Hamza and Suleman— in November 2020 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34, and 109 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and r/w 3/4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

In June 2020, the NAB had confiscated Suleman’s shares in 16 companies amounting to Rs2.0 billion along with cash worth Rs4.1 million, also 10 marlas of agricultural land and pieces of land comprising of 209 kanals.

In December 2021, the agency submitted a penalty against Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Shehbaz and Hamza over their alleged connection to Rs16 billion money laundering case. The FIA allegedly reported that Shehbaz family had 28 benamidar accounts which were used to launder money.

The organization also inspected the money trail of 17,000 credit transactions. It was reported that the said amount was kept in secret accounts and given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity.

NAB had also alleged that assets worth Rs3.3 billion had been illegally acquired by Suleman, Hamza and Shehbaz Sharif.

The court had issued the arrest warrants for Suleman on May 28 but FIA told the court that orders could not be executed since he left the country.