LAHORE - An accountability court on Tuesday sent Opposition Leader in National Assembly Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to Kot Lakhpat Jail on judicial remand in money laundering and assets beyond means case.

A team of the National Accountability Bureau produced Shehbaz Sharif before Accountability Court Judge Syed Jawadul Hassan on expiry of his seven-day physical remand. The court was requested to extend physical remand for further investigations. However, the court questioned why the bureau required further physical remand.

To which, a NAB prosecutor submitted that the bureau wanted to investigate as to how Shehbaz Sharif returned the loan obtained for purchasing flats in London. He submitted that Shebaz Sharif was not cooperating in investigations.

 

He submitted that in response to NAB questions, Shehbaz stated that he would reply to them in the court. He submitted that investigations could not be completed from Shehbaz Sharif due to non-cooperation and further custody was required for its completion.

 

At this, Shebaz Sharif stated that the bureau did not give him any new questionnaire. He submitted that he had already responded to NAB questions and now it was a part of the reference.

 

The investigation officer submitted that Shehbaz Sharif transferred 17,000 pounds to abroad but he was not sharing the details about the source of the money. He said that Shehbaz Sharif committed white collar crime and he was also not cooperating in the investigations.

 

However, Shehbaz Sharif submitted that he was in custody of the bureau in 2018, when the investigations were launched in the case. He submitted that he had served 85 days on physical remand, if the previous remand term was added.

 

Subsequently, the court, after hearing detailed arguments of the parties, denied the request for further physical remand and sent Shehbaz Sharif to Kot Lakhpat Jail on Judicial remand. The court ordered for producing him on expiry of the remand term, October 27.

 

Shehbaz Sharif was arrested by the bureau on September 28 after a Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench dismissed his pre-arrest bail petition in the money laundering case.

The anti-corruption authority had filed a reference against Shehbaz Sharif family before the accountability court in the money laundering and assets beyond means case.

 

Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz, Salman Shehbaz, Nusrat Shehbaz, Rabia Imran, Javeria Ali, Nisar Ahmad Ali, Ahmad Khan, Syed Muhammad Tahir Naqvi, Qasim Qayyum, Rashid, Masroor Anwar, Muhammad Usman, Fazal Dad, Muhammad Shoaib Qamar, Haroon Yousafzai have been named accused in the reference comprising of 55 volumes.

According to the reference, the whole family committed massive money laundering of Rs 7 billion. Yasir Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmad, Shahid Rafique and Aftab were made approvers in the reference.