LAHORE - The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday filed a reply in the Lahore High Court (LHC) to the pre-arrest bail petition filed by Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif in assets beyond means and money laundering case.
In its 50-page reply, the bureau claimed that it had sufficient evidence to connect Shehbaz Sharif with the commission of offence.
It submitted that the petition filed by Shehbaz Sharif was an attempt to divert attention of the court from his illegal assets and money laundering. The bureau submitted that the LHC had already dismissed bail petition of co-accused, Hamza Shehbaz, after observing that his assets did not commensurate with his known sources of income.
The bureau stated that Shehbaz Sharif was principal accused in the case and allegations were on better footing against him than the co-accused.
The bureau alleged that Shehbaz Sharif and other co-accused employed various methods for money laundering to legitimize illicit family enrichment. The petitioner and his family owned assets worth Rs 2.12 million in 1990 whereas their present assets were more than Rs 7 billion, it added.
The bureau submitted that Shehbaz sharif was trying to frustrate investigation process and there were chances that he might flee the country as his son Salman Shehbaz had concealed himself to avoid lawful proceedings and he had been declared proclaimed offender.
The bureau denied the allegations leveled against it and submitted that the bail petition was liable to be dismissed.
It is pertinent to mention here that a LHC division bench had granted interim bail to Shehbaz Sharif in assets case till June 17 and it would resume hearing of Shehbaz Sharif bail petition today (Wednesday).