Daily Times

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday filed a reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member and Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz along with others in money laundering case.

According to details, the reference was registered at the office of accountability court’s admin judge.

It is to be mentioned here that Hamza Shahbaz has been accused of sending money abroad through illegal ways.

Earlier, Lahore High Court (LHC) had rejected Hamza Shahbaz’s bail in money laundering case. Defence lawyer Salman Aslam Butt said that his client was being subjected to political revenge.

Non-political powers were using investigation agencies including NAB for their own interests, the lawyer claimed.

Accountability court had also indicted Hamza Shahbaz and his father Shehbaz Sharif in Ramzan Sugar Mills reference. Both the accused pleaded not guilty and their lawyer requested time for case preparation which was rejected by the court.

In another hearing, Salman Butt had argued that according to the NAB ordinance, the bureau could not issue arrest warrants unless an inquiry over the matter was completed.

To which, Justice Naqvi had remarked that the judgment would be done as per the constitution, and justice would be ensured.

Meanwhile, a civil court on Monday summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif and vice-president Maryam Nawaz to appear before the court in a case against them for allegedly encroaching upon 4,000 acres of land in Jati Umra.

Senior Civil Judge Fozia Saira, hearing an application filed by Punjab University Professor Dr Abdul Rauf, directed both of them to appear before the court on August 20.

The applicant alleged that the Sharif family had encroached upon his forefathers’ thousands of acres of land in Jati Umra which they had purchased from the then government from 1911 to 1912.

The actual owner of the land in question, Pir Buksh, is still alive, he said.

Abdul Rauf claimed that he had documentary evidence that can be made part of the court’s proceedings and pleaded with the judge to issue directives for removal of encroachment from the land.

He further demanded that the Sharif family pay a sum of Rs50 billion as financial damages he suffered because of the illegal occupation of the land.

It is noteworthy that Maryam Nawaz is facing a land acquisition inquiry instituted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for allegedly acquiring 200 hundred acres of land in Raiwind in 2013 in violation of rules.

On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi on Monday appeared before National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team for investigation in an alleged corruption case related to Sports Board Punjab.

Sources claimed that Abbasi failed to satisfy NAB during the investigation.

Talking to media, after showing up before NAB, Hanif Abbasi said he was asked to answer 20 questions and criticized NAB’s questionnaire.

Abbasi claimed he was asked not to return back to Pakistan while being in Medina, and vowed not to leave former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his party. The PML-N stalwart said that he has been asked to appear before the NAB again on August 27.

The Bureau is probing Hanif Abbasi in an alleged corruption case related to the Sports Board Punjab.

A notice sent earlier by NAB reads: “The inquiry proceedings have revealed that you are in possession of information/evidence which relates to the commission of the said offence. You are advised that failing to comply with this notice may entail penal consequences as provided in Section 2 of the schedule of National Accountability Ordinance 1999.”

In a statement, Maryam Aurangzeb strongly condemned the NAB summoning of Hanif Abbasi.

She said that NAB Niazi Nexus is on a ‘mission’ to subject those serving nation to political victimization.

The questionnaire sent to Hanif Abbasi by NAB Niazi Nexus is ridiculous and a collection of contradictions.

She said that Supreme Court, Council for Islamic Ideology (CII) , Bar Associations and the people have expressed no confidence in the NAB-Niazi alliance.

NAB-Niazi Nexus has set a historical example of mockery of accountability and political revenge.

She said that NAB-Niazi alliance was upset over the efforts made for the promotion of sports.

N-League spokesperson said that Hanif Abbasi is a brave and loyal soldier of Nawaz Sharif. NAB could not intimidate Nawaz Sharif’s team no matter whatever tactics were used by NAB- Niazi Nexus, she added.

She said that Hanif Abbasi worked day and night for Metro Rawalpindi and Cardiology Hospital under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif.