An accountability court on Monday issued perpetual arrest warrants of Salman Shahbaz, son of leader of opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had completed its process to declare him proclaimed offender in money laundering/illegal assets case.

Earlier, the investigating officer submitted a report showing process under section 88 of Code of Criminal Procedure had been completed and properties belonging to the absconding suspect had been attached. The report said the suspect had been deliberately avoiding his arrest despite the fact that he was required in investigation. Previously, the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Suleman but the same had not been unexecuted due to his unavailability of in the country.

Suleman's elder brother Hamza Shahbaz, at present leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly, is on judicial remand in the same case. Suleman flew to London several months ago.

The NAB alleged that assets worth Rs 3.3 billion had been identified so far as illegally accumulated by Hamza, Suleman and their father Shahbaz. It said the whole family committed massive money laundering in the name of foreign remittances and loans.

It said Hamza received benefits from different family members including brother Salman and sister Rabia Ali under the garb of gifts. The bureau claimed that investigation conducted so far revealed that Suleman and Rabia received foreign remittances through fictitious bank accounts.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019