Rs16 Billion Money Laundering Case: PM's Counsel Concludes Arguments

Advocate Amjad Pervaiz tells court that Moonis Elahi 's case is similar to his client's case in nature.

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Oct 8th, 2022) Advocate Amjad Pervaiz, the counsel for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has concluded his arguments on acquittal application before the Special Court Cental-I in Rs 16 billion money laundering case.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also appeared before the court.

However, the arguments on acquittal plea of PM's son former Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, ars yet to be concluded.

Advocate Pervaiz contended that FIA had removed allegation of Rs9 billion from the challan which was submitted.

The counsel submitted that the FIA had told them that the allegation regarding the five bank accounts, amounting to Rs9 billion, were not linked either to the premier or his son Suleiman Shehbaz and belonged to another accused, Mushtaq Cheeni, against whom an investigation was not initiated.

Advocate Pervaiz further argued that those false tales of the kickbacks mentioned in the FIR had not been made part of the challan.

He sais that this case was also similar in nature to the case of Moonis Elahi. At this, the judge asked about the similarity between the two, to which Pervez replied that Elahi’s case also revolves around the allegation of transferring money through employees with lesser wages.

The counsel said that PM Shehbaz and Hamza could not be punished as the record which had been collected or submitted before the court during the previous government, could not be relied upon.

PM Shehbaz also told the court that he had not been drawing his salary and TADA allowances during his last three tenures when he was serving as chief minister of Punjab.

He said how he could take this amount through fraud when he did take entitled money in millions of rupees when he was serving as Punjab CM. He said he served as Punjab CM three times.

Earlier, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) gave clean chit to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in the money laundering case.

During the proceedings, FIA's special prosecutor appeared before the court and said, "there is no direct evidence against Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza in this case,".

The prosecutor said that the evidence was collected at that time when the regime was not changed.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had booked Shehbaz Sharif and his sons Hamza Shehbaz, Suleman Shehbaz and others in November 2020 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and r/w 3/4 of Anti Money Laundering Act.