LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday told a special court that the case registered against him was totally false and frivolous. The prime minister made this statement before Special Court (Central) Judge Ijaz Awan who was hearing a case registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against the prime minister, his son, Hamza Shehbaz, and others.
Shehbaz Sharif further submitted that he appeared in compliance with the court orders but he had some important meetings to attend in Islamabad. He sought permission to leave the courtroom, adding that he wanted to say something before leaving.
He submitted that he had served as the chief minister Punjab for ten years and now again he had been given an important responsibility in difficult times. The party leader had given him the responsibility to save the state by putting politics at stake, he said, adding that he and his party were working for the benefit of the country and tough decisions were being taken for the purpose.
He submitted that as the chief minister Punjab, he made decisions which damaged his family’s sugar business.” I was recommended to give subsidy to the sugar mills but I refused because the money belonged to the poor people of Punjab”, he added.
The prime minister submitted that the country was passing through difficult times and every dollar was precious in these circumstances. He submitted that he was requested to allow the export of the sugar but he refused so that the prices should not rise further, adding that the people would not forgive him if the sugar prices rose further.
He submitted that he could not burden the public by making sugar expensive, adding that export issues would be reviewed when the sugar season would start the next month.
Later, the prime minister left the courtroom after receiving permission from the court.
Advocate Amjad Pervaiz also advanced arguments on the acquittal application, filed by his client, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during the proceedings. He submitted that the allegations leveled against his client were general in nature. The FIR mentioned that companies of the Sharif Group were used in the matter. However, in those 10 years, his client was neither director nor shareholder of any of these companies, he added.
He submitted that a Rs 2.8 billion account was mentioned in the FIR, but the same was removed from the challan, He questioned why the Rs 2.8 billion account was not made part of the challan, adding that Mushtaq Cheeni’s account was also removed from the challan.
To which, the FIA’s counsel submitted that some accounts were removed from challan, which did not belong to the Sharif family.
Advocate Amjad Pervaiz further submitted that it was the right of everyone to own movable or immovable property.
At this, the court remarked that it should be declared otherwise it would be considered as black money.
To which, Advocate Amjad Pervaiz argued that the FIA would have taken action if such was the case. He submitted that the case was registered during the previous government’s tenure and the Supreme Court had remarked that the FIA was used for political engineering with regard to such cases.
He submitted that the FIR was registered at a time when Shehbaz Sharif was behind bars. He submitted that as per the Agency, four billion rupees were concealed in the sale of sugar. It is to be reviewed whether the FIA had powers to investigate such charges, he added.
Subsequently, the court adjourned further proceedings till October 8 and sought further arguments on the acquittal application.
The court also exempted Hamza Shehbaz from personal appearance for one-day while allowing an application filed for the purpose, at the start of proceedings.
