Lahore, JUN 11: A special court in Lahore on Saturday confirmed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz’s pre-arrest bails in a Rs16 billion money laundering case registered against them by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
It directed them to submit bail bonds of Rs1 million each.
The court also confirmed the pre-arrest bails of other suspects in the case and directed them to submit bail bonds of Rs200,000 each.
In the hearing earlier today, the investigation officer informed the court that neither he nor the previous IO had submitted a fresh report requiring Shehbaz and Hamza’s custody.
It contradicted FIA Prosecutor Farooq Bajwa’s statement, who had confirmed to the court during the last hearing that the agency wanted to arrest the leaders.
Presiding Judge of the Special Court (Central-I), Ijaz Hassan Awan, had extended Shehbaz and Hamza’s interim bails in the case till June 11 (today) during the last hearing. Both leaders appeared in court for today as well.
At the outset of the hearing, the FIA submitted a report about non-bailable arrest warrants issued for three suspects, including Shehbaz’s son Suleman Shehbaz, Malik Maqsood and Tahir Naqvi.
The report stated that the warrants could not be executed since Suleman was not present at his address and had gone abroad. In addition, the FIA had written a letter to the relevant agency for verification of Maqsood’s death, according to the report.
The same was stated by FIA Prosecutor Bajwa who informed the court that the agency had written to Interpol in connection with Maqsood’s death.
The judge then directed the FIA to submit a verified report. He also made a newspaper clipping about the death part of the court proceedings.
