An accountability court on Friday acquitted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other members of the Sharif family in the Ittefaq Foundry, Huddaibiya Paper Mills and Raiwind corruption references. Justice Anwar Ahmed termed the charges 'politically motivated' while clearing the Sharif family of all charges pertaining to money laundering and illegal assets.
BR staff reporter adds: During the course of proceedings, judge Anwar Ahmad Khan cleared the Sharif family, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Kulsoom Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz, of all charges pertaining to a money laundering reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), stating that the cases were framed for exacting political revenge with no viable proof.
The petition was filed by Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Justice Anwar Ahmad Khan said the cases remained pending for 14 years and not a single witness had appeared in the court. The judge termed the charges against the Sharif family politically motivated. Advocate Ahmad Awais, the counsel for the Sharif family, apprised the court that the Ittefaq Foundries case was sub judice in the High Court and the court could not hear the matter until the stay order was not vacated.
The hearing of the case was adjourned to October 2. It is pertinent to mention that a money laundering reference against the Sharif family was prepared by General Pervez Musharraf-led government in 2000, which stated that the Sharif brothers had used the Hudaibya Paper Mills as a cover for money laundering in the late 1990s on the basis of a statement reordered by one of their trusted allies Ishaq Dar.