Lahore (Staff Report/Agencies): An accountability court on Thursday acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz in a Rs7 billion money laundering case.
The premier and his son had filed petitions seeking acquittal, basing their argument on NAB’s inability to present any evidence against them.
The court accepted the pleas and acquitted the prime minister along with all the co-accused, including Hamza, Nusrat Shehbaz (wife), Javeria Ali (PM's daughter), Muhammad Usman, Masroor Anwar, Shoaib Qamar, Qasim Qayyum, Rashid Karamat, Ali Ahmed and Nisar Ahmed, except for one.
The court, however, issued a perpetual arrest warrant for PM Shehbaz's daughter Rabia Imran, who had been declared absconder in the case.
The NAB investigators also confirmed that no evidence was found.
Last week, PM Shehbaz’ son Suleman Shahbaz and other accused also acquitted in the Rs16 billion money laundering case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Suleman appeared before the courtroom alongside his lawyer, Advocate Amjad Parvez.
During the hearing today, Judge Bakht Fakhr Behzad asked who conducted the money laundering inquiry and was informed by the FIA’s lawyer that a joint investigation team (JIT) led by Dr Rizwan had carried it out.