A banking offence court on Friday extended the interim bail of Opposition leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in money laundering and sugar scam till January 28.
Banking Court Judge Sardar Tahir Sabir conducted the proceedings wherein Hamza Shehbaz appeared and got his attendance marked. The defence counsel, Advocate Amjad Pervaiz, argued that the court had ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to file the case challan in the court concerned. He submitted that despite the court orders, the FIA had not submitted challan yet. Which court should be approached for bail in these circumstances, he questioned.
The counsel also filed an exemption application on behalf of Shehbaz Sharif, stating that he was suffering from Corona and tested positive. The court was requested to exempt Shehbaz Sharif from personal appearance for one-day. At this, the court questioned FIA’s counsel as to why the challan had not been filed in the court concerned. To which, the counsel assured that the challan would be filed soon. Subsequently, the court extended the interim bail of Shehbaz Sharif and his son till January 28 and directed the FIA to file the challan in the court concerned immediately.
It is pertinent to mention here that the court had on January 14 ordered the FIA to submit the challan before court concerned while allowing an application filed by the FIA against the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Shehbaz Sharif and his sons – Hamza and Suleman – were booked by the FIA in November 2020 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of PPC and 5(2) and 5(3) of Prevention of Corruption Act and r/w 3/4 of Anti Money Laundering Act. Suleman is absconding and residing in the UK.
