An accountability court declared Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shahbaz, innocent in a money laundering case involving Rs7 billion.
The court’s judgment signifies an important turning point for the Prime Minister and his son, effectively clearing them of all accusations in this high-profile case.
Aside from one defendant, the court cleared all co-accused individuals associated with the case. These include prominent figures such as Nusrat Shehbaz, the Prime Minister’s wife; Javeria Ali, his daughter; as well as Muhammad Usman, Masroor Anwar, Shoib Qamar, Qasim Qayyum, Rashid Karamat, Ali Ahmed, and Nisar Ahmed.
However, the court also issued a permanent arrest warrant for Rabia Imran, Shehbaz’s daughter, who had previously been declared a fugitive.
Inadequate Evidence Leads to Acquittal
The defendants had previously submitted pleas for acquittal, arguing that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had failed to present substantial evidence to support the accusations levelled against them. This argument gained credibility when NAB investigators confirmed their inability to uncover concrete evidence that could incriminate the accused.
Earlier this month, the court stated that it was compelled to clear the defendants due to NAB’s admission of not having any evidence against them.
The case dates back to 2018, when the anti-corruption watchdog initiated an investigation against Shehbaz while he was serving as the opposition leader in the National Assembly. On September 29, 2020, the NAB arrested Shehbaz following the Lahore High Court’s rejection of his bail plea.
On November 11, 2020, after more than a month of his detention, an accountability court formally charged the Prime Minister, his son Hamza, and other co-accused. However, in a turn of events, Shehbaz was released on parole in April 2021.
