Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday said that the ruling government had shared “fabricated” evidence against Shehbaz with the NCA and brought shame to Pakistan.
Talking to media persons in the federal capital while flanked by Rana Sanaullah and Ahsan Iqbal, Abbassi asserted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had embarrassed itself in front of the world with the British National Crime Agency’s probe against PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.
He said that the PTI government’s claims that it was not involved or pursuing money laundering cases against Shahbaz had been exposed.
He said that the Assets Recovery Unit and, as per the PML-N’s sources, even Federal Investigation Agency officials, used to go to London to meet NCA officials.
“The standard set by this government, when it comes to lying, is totally unique,” he said. “The prime minister of this country, in his own office, creates an Asset Recovery Unit that has no legal basis. And what has that ARU done?” he questioned.
He referred to the papers in his hand, saying that they were official documents submitted by the NCA at the UK court.
Referring to the NCA probe against the PML-N president and his son Suleman, Abbasi said that normally in money laundering cases, financial transactions only six years back were traced.
Holding up a document, Abbasi said it was the written copy of the consent given by Shehbaz to the NCA, adding that no obstacles were placed in the course of the investigation by the Sharifs.
“In this case, however, the probe stretched to cover financial transactions covering a period of over 20 years,” he noted. “This inquiry was also not limited to just one country; it took place in Pakistan, the UK and the UAE.”
The former prime minister said that money sent by Shahbaz from Pakistan to his UK bank account was legal money.
He said Shahbaz and Suleman had both given their consent to the NCA to probe their accounts. “Time and again, the NCA told the court that it has the complete support and cooperation of the Pakistani government and its agencies,” he said.
Abbasi alleged that Lahore NAB directer general, the ARU, FIA, and other agencies were involved in framing allegations against the PML-N president. “And now, the prime minister of this country says his government had nothing to do with the probe,” he said.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also pointed out that the NAB NAB is appointed through consultations between government and opposition but the government is trying to change the law to skip the consultations.
The PML-N leader further said that the Chairman of the anti-graft watchdog will retire in 10 days but the consultations have not started yet.
PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that the government could not, till this day, find evidence of former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s involvement in corruption.
“Each case has slammed shut on their faces,” he said, referring to the government. “You could not even prove corruption worth Rs32 in a Rs3,200bn project,” he added.
Iqbal said that the government is failing the masses as it is busy registering fake cases against the Opposition. “However, your failure is becoming a matter of life and death for the public,” he said.
Iqbal said the government itself was inviting trouble from the Financial Action Task Force as the prime minister was repeatedly saying at international forums that political leaders in the country are involved in money laundering.
“This he does only to promote his politics of hatred and revenge,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Tuesday said that a recent order by a court in the United Kingdom did not mention PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, adding that he had not been acquitted of money laundering charges, reported Dawn.
A day earlier, it was reported that a UK court had ordered to unfreeze the bank accounts of Shehbaz and his son Suleman after the country’s National Crime Agency did not find evidence regarding “suspicious bank transactions” against them.
The PML-N had hailed the decision, calling it an embarrassment for Prime Minister Imran Khan who peddled the corruption and money laundering allegations against the Sharif family.
However, in a virtual press conference on Tuesday, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar pointed out that there was no asset freezing order against Shehbaz in the UK.
He said that the PML-N president was not mentioned in the UK court’s order nor had he been acquitted of any charges.
“Shehbaz was not facing money laundering charges in London but despite this, the lifting of an AFO was presented [by the PML-N] as if he was acquitted in a money laundering case.”
Akbar called upon the journalist community to peruse the order and see whether Shehbaz’s name had been mentioned. He also shared the document on Twitter and said: “Cheap tricks won’t work. Shehbaz still need[s] to answer in courts in Pakistan.”
After 21 months of investigation and review of 20 years of financial affairs, a British court has ordered the unfreezing of the Opposition leader’s bank accounts and those belonging to his son, Suleman Sharif.
The decision was taken by the court after UK’s top anti-corruption body NCA concluded there was no evidence of money laundering, fraud and criminal conduct against the two, according to evidence seen by The News exclusively.
The Westminster Magistrates Court’s Judge Nicholas Rimmer set aside the two AFOs against Shahbaz Sharif and his son related to a December 2019 case filed by the NCA at the Pakistani government’s request.
The bank accounts of Shahbaz Sharif and Suleiman Shahbaz were frozen in December 2019 on court’s order. The National Accountability Bureau East Recovery Unit shared the evidence with the British agency.
During the investigation, the accounts of the Shahbaz Sharif and Sharif family in the UK and UAE were investigated.
