By Press Trust of India: A particular court docket in Pakistan on Monday acquitted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son Suleman Shahbaz and all different accused named within the Rs 16 billion cash laundering case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The particular court docket right here issued its order on pleas filed by Suleman and others accused within the case looking for their acquittal. The prime minister’s son was current alongside his counsel earlier than the court docket on the time of the announcement, Geo News reported.
According to the decision, the allegations in opposition to him had been “without any evidence”.
Suleman, who returned to Pakistan in December last year after a four-year self-exile in London, was not only accused in the case but was also named in an assets-beyond-means reference. He was declared a proclaimed offender in both cases.
Ahead of his arrival, the Islamabad High Court restrained both the FIA and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting him.
The FIA, this January, cited a lack of proof and cleared him in the sugar mills case.
Meanwhile, the FIA has submitted the answers to the 27 questions related to the case in the court.
Judge Bakht Fakhar Behzad inquired regarding those involved in the inquiry of the money laundering case. FIA’s lawyer told the court that the inquiry was conducted by a joint investigation team headed by a late FIA official.
“Tell me right away, do not make up tales, I’ve learn all of it. I’ll ship all of the FIA individuals to jail now, bear in mind this. I need a solution, what proof of crime was there with the challan?” the judge asked.
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Suleman’s counsel, Advocate Amjad Parvez, said that the case is baseless and he had spoken against it. The court then asked, under whose pressure the case was filed.
The prosecutor said that there was no direct evidence and Suleman was declared accused in the light of the form used to open the account.
After the hearing, the court acquitted all the accused including Suleman in the money laundering case.
The judge also directed the authorities to take action against the FIA officials for launching the frivolous and baseless prosecution against Suleman and co-accused Syed Muhammad Tahir Naqvi âæ “in order that in future different officers ought to be taught the lesson and will restrain themselves of obeying the unlawful orders of their superiors.”
The FIA had registered the case against Shehbaz Sharif and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2020 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Anti Money Laundering Act.
His father and brother had already been acquitted last year in the money laundering case.
“Thanks be to Allah that the info got here earlier than the individuals, at present by the grace of Allah we’ve been exonerated,” Suleman informed reporters outdoors the court docket.
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