NAB challenges bail granted to Shahbaz in assets case.

Byline: Wajih Ahmad Sheikh

LAHORE -- The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has opposed the pre-arrest bail granted to Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in an inquiry of illegal assets against him and requested the Lahore High Court to dismiss the petition of the politician.

A two-judge bench had on June 3 allowed pre-arrest bail to Mr Shahbaz and restrained the NAB from arresting him till June 17. One day before he was granted the bail, a team of the bureau had raided his Model Town residence to arrest him, however, returned unsuccessful after several hours.

As the bench is set to resume its hearing on Wednesday (today), the NAB on Tuesday filed its written reply challenging the bail petition.

The bureau states that petitioner Mr Shahbaz is beneficiary of assets held in the name of his family members and benamidars, who have no sources to acquire such assets.

It alleges that the family members and benamidars of the petitioner received fake foreign remittances of Rs1.218 billion in their personal bank accounts. Apart from the said foreign remittances, Rs375.695 million was laundered by way foreign pay orders, which were deposited with personal bank account of co-suspect Suleman Shahbaz, the son of the petitioner.

The reply further alleges that the petitioner and his family members have managed disappearance of some of their co-suspects (associates/employees) namely Haroon Yousaf Aziz, Ali Ahmad Khan, Syed Muhammad Tahir Naqvi and Muhammad Usman.

It states some of the co-suspects namely Hamza Shahbaz, son of the petitioner, Nisar Ahmad, Qasim Qayum, Rashid Karamat, Masroor Anwar, Fazal Dad Abbasi, Shoaib Qamar, Muhammad Mushtaq (approver), Shahid Rafique (approver) and Aftab Mehmood (approver) were arrested only after hectic efforts.

The reply points...