NAB arrests another 'frontman' of Sharif family

Accused is allegedly involved in money laundering and transferring huge amounts illegally

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore arrested an accused in assets beyond means and money laundering cases involving Shehbaz Sharif’s family on Tuesday.

He was identified as Aftab Mehmood. After his arrest, the number of arrested accused in the case has reached to five. He was arrested after the information revealed by accused Shahid Shafiq. Both were cousins and allegedly involved in transferring of millions of rupees into Sharif family’s accounts illegally.

NAB said Mehmood operated a company named Usman International Foreign Currency Exchange from London and Birmingham and used it to transfer bogus TT in Sharif family’s accounts.

NAB sends questionnaire to Sharif family women

The NAB has already arrested accused Fazal Dad, Qasim Qayyum, Muhammad Mushtaq and Shahid Rafiq. The accountability watchdog has claimed to have found the pieces of evidence about Rs3 billion money laundered by the Sharif family.  The accused will be presented before the court for a physical remand on Wednesday. The NAB prosecution will request the court of his physical custody for 15 days.

Meanwhile, an accountability court reserved judgment on an application by the opposition leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to seek exemption from personal appearance in Ashiana Iqbal Housing scheme scam and Ramazan Sugar Mills cases.

The appeal was moved before the court by Shehbaz’s lawyer. The court expressed annoyance over his absence and inquired how he could leave abroad without seeking prior permission from the court. The defence counsel briefed the court that Shehbaz left abroad for treatment. He pleaded an exemption till May 8 for him. The court reserved the decision on the application and proceeded with the recording the statements of the eyewitnesses in the cases.

Nawaz undergoes medical treatment

The opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz also appeared before the court in Ramazan Sugar Mills case. He requested the court to allow him to leave to attend the on-going Punjab Assembly session to which, the court agreed and allowed him to leave.

Speaking to the media persons outside the court, Hamza lashed out at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government over its failure to control inflation. He said the reshuffling of the cabinet would change nothing. He said the matters of the state were slipping from the hands of the government.