IHC grants 14-day protective bail to Suleman Shehbaz

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted protective bail to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son Suleman Shehbaz for 14 days in the money laundering case against him.

During the hearing on Tuesday, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq was informed by Suleman's lawyer that his client has to appear before a special judge central in Lahore.

Granting his protective bail, the IHC directed Suleman to appear before the special court in Lahore within 14 days.

Suleman returned to Pakistan in the early hours of Sunday after four years of self-exile in the UK. He had been in London with his family since 2018 when NAB registered multiple cases against him ahead of the general election and he left Pakistan after appearing in a few hearings.

Suleman Shehbaz returns

Background

An accountability court, in 2019, had also issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Suleman Shehbaz in a money laundering case.

The FIA’s banking crime circle had claimed to have unearthed billions of rupees stashed money in the bank accounts of his employees.

The FIA had registered a case against then opposition leader 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 December 2021, the agency had submitted a challan against Shehbaz and Hamza over their alleged involvement in Rs16 billion’s money laundering case. The FIA’s report had alleged that Shehbaz family had 28 benami accounts, which were detected by an investigation team.

They claimed that money laundering of Rs16.3 billion was committed during 2008-18 through these accounts. The FIA had examined the money trail of 17,000 credit transactions. The report had added up that the amount was kept in hidden accounts and given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity.

Money laundering case: IHC bars authorities from arresting Suleman Shehbaz

The FIA had alleged that the money received from the accounts of low-wage employees by Shehbaz had been transferred outside Pakistan to his family through the illegal practice of hundi.

At least 11 low-paid employees of the Sharif family were said to have been guilty of facilitating this alleged money laundering.

However, in October, a special central court acquitted Shehbaz and his son Hamza Shehbaz in the Rs16 billion money laundering case.