LAHORE: July 10, 2023: A special court in Lahore acquitted Suleman Shahbaz, younger son of prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif, in money laundering case. The special court also acquitted co-accused in the case.
Suleman Shahbaz had returned to Pakistan in December 2022 to surrender to the court and face the cases filed during the Pakistan Tehreek e Isnaf (PTI) regime. His legal team had also filed a separate petition with Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking relief on his return to Pakistan. IHC accepted Suleman Shahbaz’s plea and ordered to the federal and Punjab not to arrest Suleman Shahbaz in money laundering or any other case.
The court had directed Suleman Shahbaz to surrender himself to the court within granted time for permanent relief. Suleman Shahbaz followed the court orders and moved petitions in a special case to hear the cases filed against him in PTI regime on regular basis.
The hearing into the money laundering case.
At the outset of the hearing, judge Bakht Fakhar Bahzad inquired from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as to who had ordered to register a case of money laundering against Suleman Shahbaz. In response to this inquiry FIA counsel, Farooq Bajwa, informed the court that the case of money laundering involving Suleman Shahbaz and others was filed on the direction of deceased FIA director, Dr Rizwan.
The judge then inquired from FIA counsel if any statement of witness was recorded during the investigations into the case. FIA investigation officer (IO) Ali Mardan, had no reply to this query of the judge so he remained silent. The court again asked to FIA official to give details of the case which directly or indirectly involved Suleman Shahbaz in money laundering case. FIA IO faced tough questions from the court during Monday’s hearing.
At one point during the hearing, Suleman’s lawyer said that ex-FIA director general Bashir Memon also used to state that he was pressurised to file the case.
Meanwhile, the FIA counsel said there was no “direct evidence” against Suleman pertaining to money laundering.
Judge Bahzad asked the IO to tell the court if there was any “indirect” evidence. Bajwa replied, “The action was initiated in light of the sugar inquiry commission’s report.”
At that, the judge inquired about action taken against “other sugar mills” to which the IO responded that he had no knowledge of it as he was not tasked with probing the matter. He said that he was assigned to probe the money laundering case.
Here, Judge Bahzad observed that the FIA had obtained Suleman’s account details during the course of the investigation, to which the IO confirmed that the details were taken but the “account was not used”.
“Why did you make the case against him when his account was not used,” the judge asked. The IO replied, “Money used to be deposited into Suleman Shehbaz’s accounts and was taken out in cash.”
“Depositing money and taking it out — what kind of a crime is this?” the judge asked. “This is why I had called the FIA that they come and tell what drama has been going on for years.”
Judge Bahzad also inquired about who used to give the records to Mirza Shahzad Akbar, the former accountability czar, which allowed him to hold press conferences.
At that, the FIA IO said, “I remember that once, Shahzad Akbar came to the Lahore office.”
The judge observed that FIA investigation officer had not recorded a single statement of any witness and the court was not interested in any concocted story relating to the money laundering case.
After hearing the arguments of FIA counsel and the counsel for Salman Shahbaz, the court acquitted Salman Shahbaz and other co-accused in money laundering case.