Shehbaz, his family owns assets worth of Rs85 billion in UK: Fawad

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry has said that Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz Sharif and his family are involved in money laundering of about 100 billion rupees abroad. Speaking to media following the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) raid at Hamza Shehbaz’s residence, Fawad Chaudhry said Shahbaz Sharif and his family owned assets worth about 85 billion rupees in the United Kingdom (UK) procured through money laundering. He bashed Hamza Shehbaz for not being a true leader, otherwise he would have surrendered to the arrest warrant. The minister said Hamza Shahbaz should have surrendered before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team went to his residence to arrest him after fulfilling all legal formalities. Fawad Chaudhry said it was for the first time that a crackdown was launched against influential people. He said it is unfortunate that Hamza Shahbaz did not cooperate with the NAB team, but also obstructed its investigation by attacking the team members. Fawad Chaudhry said it was the commitment of Prime Minister Imran Khan to bring back the looted money of the people of Pakistan. He said whenever an action is taken against plunderers and looters they start crying. The process of accountability will not be hindered by any threat, the minister said, adding that,”From Lahore to Larkana, shrieks of mafia can be heard”. Lamenting that the officials were subjected to torture by Hamza’s security guards, Chaudhry continued that the PML-N workers interrupted the state’s action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKqfxsBM4Ig The press release added that NAB officials were bullied by Hamza Shehbaz’s guards, their clothes were torn and death threats were given. “NAB officials had gone to the residence with an arrest warrant and the Supreme Court had stated that the accountability bureau did not require to inform any accused prior to arresting them,” read the press release. The press release stated that Hamza Shehbaz had violated the law and the bureau on the basis of evidence against and in light of Supreme Court directives would arrest him. Talking outside the residence, Hamza Shehbaz said for the first time he felt like a terrorist as this was the type of action taken against them. “SC has said that NAB has been politicised. Hamza Shehbaz said he had felt like a terrorist because of the way NAB had raided the residence. “The sanctity of the home was violated,” he said. “We are Pakistanis […] For the first time, I felt like we are terrorists, the way the raid was conducted,” he added. “Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered in his case had not been dismissed by the Supreme Court. NAB personnel thinking they were Superman came to arrest me,” he added. “Whenever I received a call-up notice, despite my reservations I appeared before NAB,” Hamza asserted. He stressed that he had been given permission to travel abroad to meet his daughter and had returned a day before the court given deadline. It is pertinent to mention here that in the assets beyond means case, Hamza is facing an inquiry into the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. According to the NAB, Hamza and his younger brother Salman Shehbaz being directors of the sugar mills got constructed a bridge linking to their mills out of public money in Chiniot. It said an amount of Rs200 million was approved by then chief minister Shehbaz Sharif for the construction of the bridge.

PML-N workers stage sit-in

Following reports of the raid, a number of PML-N workers and supporters gathered outside the house and staged a sit-in, raising slogans against NAB. PML-N leaders who arrived outside the residence after hearing of the raid strongly criticised the government and Prime Minister Khan.