LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz received more than Rs181 million through 23 “suspicious transactions”, revealed a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) report on Monday.
It said that he could not account for these transactions nor could he present any evidence in this regard.
The report further disclosed that the Shehbaz Sharif family set up 14 big companies between 2005 and 2016 using the money received through suspicious transactions, adding Hamza, being a shareholder in these firms, kept receiving huge monetary benefits from the companies.
The bureau said that the opposition leader amassed more assets than his sources of income justify and was found involved in corrupt practices.
Earlier on Thursday, the anti-graft watchdog submitted its reply with the Lahore High Court (LHC) regarding Hamza’s bail petition.
In its reply, the NAB requested the high court to dismiss the PML-N leader’s petition seeking bail in the assets beyond means and money laundering case.
The bureau stated that the high court had already dismissed the bail plea of the accused. He filed the fresh bail petition on the same grounds that were given in his previous plea, it added.
Hamza amassed more assets than his sources of income justified, besides being involved in money laundering, NAB said, adding that his case was not an ordinary case.
Earlier on Wednesday, the LHC deferred the hearing of the bail petition filed by Hamza in the money laundering case.
The high court conducted the hearing of Hamza’s bail plea in the money laundering case. However, the hearing was deferred till February 23 without any proceedings on the plea. The high court had sought a response from the NAB chairman.
In its petition, Hamza stated that 16 persons were nominated in the case; however, 11 accused are facing trial. It added that there is no hope of early conclusion of the trial as all accused have their own counsels.
It further stated that keeping an accused under custody for a long time was tantamount to penalising him. The petitioner sought the acceptance of the bail petition.
A two-judge Lahore High Court (LHC) bench will take up a bail petition filed by Hamza on Tuesday.
