FROM ABID USMAN
LAHORE: A special court for banking offences on Friday announced a verdict on an application filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear a money laundering case against Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza.
Judge Rai Tahir Sabir returned the challan (investigation report) filed against the father-son duo before the special court to the FIA to submit it to the relevant court within seven days.
He granted a seven-day protective bail to Shehbaz and Hamza to enable them to approach the court where the challan would be filed to secure an interim bail in the case.
The FIA had previously questioned the jurisdiction of the special court for banking offences to entertain the matter.
Hamza appeared before the court while Shehbaz sought exemption from personal appearance in today’s hearing as he is in Islamabad in connection with the ongoing session of the National Assembly.
Shehbaz and his sons, Hamza and Suleman are facing the money laundering and sugar scam. On Thursday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed a petition filed by Shehbaz Sharif challenging the money laundering inquiry initiated against him and his son Hamza by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
A two-judge LHC bench headed by Chief Justice Ameer Bhatti dismissed the petition after the PML-N president’s lawyer requested the court to allow him to withdraw the petition.
Shehbaz Sharif’s lawyer Amjad Pervaiz stated before the court that two different agencies were investigating money laundering charges against his client in violation of the laws.
