The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday ordered Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz to provide a money trail of Rs25 billion in the accounts of their peons and clerks within 30 days.
The notice was served under Section 9 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010.
The PML-N leader has been directed to bring with him documentation pertaining to the vehicles owned, his bank account details, besides shares, jewellery, cash and prize bonds owned. He will have to supplement this with evidence that the assets “are not proceeds of crime”.
The notice stated that failure to provide a money trail within the stipulated period will result in Hamza’s property being seized by the government.
According to local media reports, the process of freezing the property and accounts of Hamza Shehbaz has been started.
Earlier on June 21, a sessions court in Lahore had granted interim bails to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in the money laundering case being investigated by the FIA till July.
The court granted interim bails to both Shehbaz and his son Hamza till July 10 and ordered them to submit surety bonds worth Rs1 million each.
The petition stated that FIA had made a baseless case of money laundering of Rs25 billion against PML-N president and his son through their sugar mills. It said that the FIA summoned the petitioner on June 22 for questioning.
According to the petition, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had already submitted a reference against the petitioner on the allegation of money laundering.
It said that after the failure of NAB to prove accusations against the petitioner, the FIA had started a baseless investigation.
The petitioner prayed that he wanted to participate in the FIA questioning tomorrow that’s why he was seeking interim bail before his appearance before the investigation agency.
The FIA summoned PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz on June 22 for questioning regarding the sugar scandal.
According to the FIA call-up notice, they had credible evidence of over Rs25 billion fraud case.
It may be mentioned here that the FIA had sent a questionnaire to the PML-N president earlier on December 18 last. Shehbaz had then said that he would submit his response after consulting his legal team.
