Pakistan court acquits PM Shehbaz Sharif, son Hamza in money laundering case

In a major relief to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a special court of the Federal Investigation Agency on Wednesday acquitted him and his son Hamza Shehbaz in a multi-million-dollar money laundering case.

The FIA in November 2020 had booked Shehbaz and his sons under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Anti-Money Laundering Act for allegedly committing over Pakistani Rupee 16 billion money laundering.

"Special Judge Central (Lahore) Ijaz Hasan Awan acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shehbaz in the Pakistani Rupee16 billion money laundering case which was registered against them two years ago after no direct evidence was found against them,” a court official told PTI.

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As the FIA’s special court was to indict Shehbaz and Hamza in this case last month, they filed a petition for their acquittal and their counsel started arguments.

Their counsel Amjad Pervaiz presented ‘final arguments’ in the court on Monday pleading that the FIA has no evidence against his clients.

The defence counsel said no prosecution witness testified against the petitioners. He argued that the prosecution failed to establish any link between the petitioners and the 'benami' (proxy) bank accounts, which it included in its investigation report.

The court has already declared Shehbaz’s younger son, Suleman Shehbaz, a proclaimed offender in this case. Suleman has been absconding in the UK since 2019. Shehbaz often says Suleman looks after the family business.

"Another fabricated case created for political victimisation comes to its inevitable end," the PML-N tweeted. "Verily, falsehood is bound to perish as promised by the Almighty."

Meanwhile, a senior leader of the federal coalition government has alleged that Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has rescued the Sharif family from conviction in corruption cases against them.

"Bajwa sahib has rescued the Sharif family from conviction in cases and he has committed a big crime," PPP senior leader barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said while talking to reporters.

He said the cases against Shehbaz, his elder brother and former premier Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were open-and-shut and their conviction was evident but they were rescued by the top man.

Ousted prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that the Sharif family is given a 'relief' in court cases under a deal with the establishment.