ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government on Sunday decided to reopen Hadaybia Paper mills case to dig out the role of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) leadership ( Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif) in money laundering and assets beyond means cases.
The Hadaybia Paper Mills case was closed down sometimes back when Naseer Bhutta , a known member of PMLN, was attorney general who appeared before the court on behalf of the federation in this case and Chaudhary Qamar uz Zaman, a bureauocrat loyal to Sharif family, was chief of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) .
So neither NAB nor federation showed interest in contesting the case in the court of law and resultantly Hadabyia Paper Mills case was closed down.
Sources said prime minister , Imran Khan, had a detailed presentation in a meeting held here on Shahbaz Sharif case and his bail recently granted by the Lahore High Court (LHC) to facilitate his departure for United Kindom (UK).
A participant of the meeting told NEWSMAN requesting anonymity that the prime minister directed his legal team to use legal options to stop Shahbaz Sharif from leaving Pakistan.
According to the participant, Imran Khan referred Nawaz Sharif’s departure for UK for treatment in the meeting,which in his views, weakened his government’s narrative of fixing -up corrput elements.
The prime minister told the meeting to expedite legal cases against Sharifs and bring them to the decisive stage in the court of law to get them awarded punishment, the participant concluded.
Nawaz Sharif had left Pakistan for treatment in 2017. His doctors had advised his emergency departure to UK for treatment. The matter in the light of doctors’ advice was placed before the federal cabinet which approved Nawaz Sharif’s exit but later the prime minister developed feelings that PMLN supremo’s medical reports were fake and his government stood cheated on the matter.
With the same feelings, the prime minister decided to plug off all options including legal course for Shahbaz’s departure from Pakistan.
The new development and Imran Khan’s hard stance on Shahbaz Sharif’s departure has set s stage for a final fight between PMLN and PTI government. It can add more fuel to already firey political situation of the country in the coming days and months.
In the evening , Information minister, Fawad Hussain Chaudhary, confirmed in a tweet that the government has decided to reopen Hadabayia Paper Mills case as its investigation was needed to reach out to the corrpution saga of Sharifs.
PMLN spokesperson , Maryam Aurangzeb, gave sharp reaction to Fawad Chaudhary,’s statement. She reminded him that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has already decided the matter in favour of PMLN leadership.
