Court to indict PM Shehbaz, Hamza on Sept 7 in money-laundering case

A special court in Lahore has summoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz on September 7 for charges in a Rs16 billion money laundering case registered against them,Aaj News reported.

During a hearing on Saturday, lawyers of the father-son duo submitted requests for a one-time exemption on their behalf. The PM's lawyer Amjad Pervaiz informed the court that Shehbaz was advised against travelling as he was not well.

In his request, Hamza’s lawyer Rao Aurangzeb said that the former Punjab CM had severe back pain.

FIA tells special court it wants to arrest PM Shehbaz, CM Hamza

Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) Prosecutor Farooq Bajwa said the FIA had no objections to accepting the exemption applications.

The hearing has been adjourned till September 7.

Background

Last year, the FIA had submitted a challan in a banking court against Shehbaz and his two sons, Hamza and Salman, citing them as the main suspects in a money laundering case.

The investigation team had found 28 Benami accounts that were operated under Shehbaz and his household staff members’ names from 2008 to 2018 — while the opposition leader was chief minister and Hamza was a member of the National Assembly.

On January 27, the special court granted pre-arrest bail to Shehbaz and Hamza in the case.