Nusrat Shehbaz, wife of Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif was indicted by an accountability court in Lahore on Friday, in a money laundering reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Nusrat Shehbaz who is currently in London, was indicted through a pleader in the court of accountability judge Naseem Virk. NAB prosecutor Usman Rashid Cheema was also present on the occasion.
Earlier in December 2020, Nusrat had been declared an absconder by the accountability court after she persistently failed to appear in the money laundering reference.
Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif had also pleaded for exemption from appearance in the case on account of ill health which was accepted by the court.
On Thursday, Shehbaz had suspended all political activities a day ago as he was advised rest by doctors after he injured himself by slipping from a staircase on Wednesday.
Earlier in August 2020, NAB had filed a Rs8 billion reference of money laundering before an accountability court against Shehbaz Sharif, his wife, his two sons and other family members.
Under the reference, Shehbaz was accused of benefiting from assets held in the name of his family members and other people who had no sources to acquire such assets themselves.
According to the reference, Shehbaz’s family members and some other people received fake foreign remittances amounting to billions of rupees in their personal bank accounts. The reference further pointed to some discrepancies hinting at money laundering through Hamza and Suleman Shehbaz’s personal bank accounts.
The reference added that Shehbaz’s family had failed to justify the sources of funds which were used in the acquisition of assets.
Earlier in December 2020, the accountability court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Nusrat which she had challenged on January 19, 2021 in the Lahore High Court on account of her old age and various illnesses, including cardiac issues.
Nusrat has been saying out of country since early 2019, when she had to travel abroad to receive medical treatment.
