Shehbaz never responded to NAB, FIA queries: adviser

Shehzad Akbar says Sharif family used delaying tactics when court ordered to proceed case against them

LAHORE:

Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Barrister Shahzad Akbar said on Friday the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif never responded to queries of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) about facts of the cases against him pertaining to money laundering and corruption.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that as per the case facts, payments were deposited to the account of one Gulzar from Aurangzeb Butt and another front man Masroor Anwar, who was involved in depositing cheques, withdrawing cash and then depositing it to the Sharif family’s account.

“Shehbaz Sharif has never given any clarification about the facts,” Akbar said told reporters. The adviser said that Shehbaz Sharif had claimed that matters pertaining to the business should be asked to his children.

Shahzad Akbar said that secret and undeclared bank accounts were surfaced after investigation into the Ramzan Sugar Mills record however, the PML-N president insisted that he should not be asked about such accounts.

He added said that a court had extended interim bail to Shehbaz and his son Hamza Shahbaz in FIA’s money laundering and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases till January 28, 2022.

Regarding the affidavit of Rana Shamim in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Akbar quoted Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan’s viewpoint on the “Sharif’s doctrine” to either approach the judges or attack them for getting decision in their favour.

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He added that audio tapes of Shehbaz Sharif, Abdul Qayyum Malik and Saifur Rehman were evidence of the “Sharif’s doctrine”.

The adviser said that the Avenfield Apartment case against Maryam Nawaz was fixed in the IHC but the Sharif family used delaying tactics when the court ordered to proceed the case. Then they surfaced an alleged audio tape of Justice (retd) Mian Saqib Nisar, while the reality of this tape was also exposed within two days. Even a common man could evaluate the genuineness of such audio tape, he maintained.

Later on, Akbar said, the affidavit of Rana Shamim came to light whose purpose was to influence the case or pressurise the court with delaying tactics. He added that now time had changed they could not influence the institutions as they did in the past.

Shahzad Akbar said the IHC had taken notice of the affidavit and started contempt proceedings after which Rana Shamim appeared in the court and claimed that he did not submitted this affidavit as it was in locker.

It was reported, the adviser continued, the affidavit was signed in Nawaz Sharif’s Office in London as the former prime minister wanted to influence the judiciary by sitting abroad. He added that the Sharif family would still propagate to defend their cases, however, the government was fully aware to tackle the situation.

Akbar said that it was also reported that Charles Ghutrie, who notarised the affidavit, made such proceedings in Nawaz Sharif’s Office in London. Secondly, he added, the forensic report also verified the voice of Ghutrie, making his statement and claims real.

The adviser added that Ghuthrie used to sign the Sharif family’s affidavits, including medical reports. Ghuthrie also disclosed that it was discussed there that the PML-N would give a posting to Rana Shamim, when they would come to power, Shahzad Akbar said.

Responding to a question, he said no presidential system would be put in place but the government was making efforts to bring about further reforms to strengthen the institutions. To another query, he said the application against former principle secretary to chief minister Tahir Khurshid was at the complaint verification stage in NAB.