Reopening graft cases: Hamza Shahbaz accuses Zardari of targeting Sharifs

Says he will decide about appearing before the court after consultation with the lawyers and party leaders.


Web Desk July 26, 2012
Reopening graft cases: Hamza Shahbaz accuses Zardari of targeting Sharifs

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz accused President Asif Ali Zardari of targeting him and his family by re-opening graft cases, Express News reported on Thursday.

Speaking to a press conference after receiving summons for himself and his father Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza said he will decide about appearing before the court after consulting his lawyers and party leaders.

Accountability court judge Abdul Haq has issued notices to the Punjab CM and his son in the Hudaibia Paper Mills case. The court has asked Hamza to appear before the court on July 28.

Hamza said that no corruption charges were proved against him during Pervez Musharraf's government and Zardari would also fail to do so.

On May 17, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had formally announced that inquiries against Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz would be reopened in accordance with Zardari’s orders for scrutinising all politicians.

The references against the Sharif family pertains to the Hudaibia Paper Mills, Ittefaq Foundry and assets beyond means.

The accused in the Hudaibia case – Nawaz, Shahbaz, Abbas Sharif, Hussain Nawaz, Hamza, Haroon Pasha and Senator Ishaq Dar – are accused of securing a huge loans in the mills’ name and using the amount for other than stated purpose.

In the Ittefaq case, Nawaz and Abbas along with Mukhtar Hassan, Kamal Qureshi and two others, are accused of abusing hefty loans.

In the third reference, the Sharif family is accused of accumulating assets beyond their declared means of income by allegedly misusing their authority.

COMMENTS (13)

Sultan Khan | 12 years ago | Reply

@asim: Convicted and criminals are sitting in the assemblies neither because of SC nor its their job to check. Its the people who elected them despite knowing their worth. Its the beauty of the Pakistani democracy that thugs and swindlers are preferred over the gentlemen.

Saima | 12 years ago | Reply

Sharif and his extended family have accumulated more wealth than any other political dynasty in the history of Pakistan. The ease with which they had surrendered to Gen Mush and agreed to leave Pakistan has no parallel in Pakistani or S. Asian history. Innocent people do not sign am amnesty and apology agreement as plea-bargain. While there are all kinds of corruption and financial improprieties but mostly they are not as blatant as borrowing billions and siphoning them off to have businesses and property in safe places. There are no doubts about the loans and not paying them while having a rich lifestyle. Sharifs have gotten away by attacking SC and hefty loans, why? When they are questioned it is victimization while the others must be tried and punished. Be that as it may I doubt that LHC would let their favorite sons to be put in jail. Sharif and Arsalan have immunity against biggest financial scams but the elected President does not.

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