Shahbaz’s claims irrelevant to NAB case, says court

LAHORE: An accountability court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of a money-laundering and assets beyond means reference against PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and his family by February 17.

The jail authorities produced Shahbaz and his son Hamza Shahbaz before the court amid tight security as heavy contingents of law-enforcement agencies had cordoned off the court premises.

During the hearing, Shahbaz termed allegations of money laundering against him and his family members false. He said what he is going to say is not relevant to the case in hand but is relevant to allegations leveled against him. He said he is facing 58 volumes of allegations of corruption and kickbacks against him. The allegations of same nature were leveled against him in the Daily Mail. He said after the Daily Mail’s story, he had filed a defamation suit in a London court. The Daily Mail’s lawyer had confessed to not having enough evidence during proceedings in the British court.

The judge remarked that right now, Shahbaz’s claims are irrelevant to the case in hand. He asked Shahbaz to bring the matter at the time of cross-examination. The judge asked him to submit a copy of the London court verdict if he has any and questioned if the NAB was a party against him. The judge remarked that the case he is presiding over is a case of the NAB. To which, Shahbaz replied that the Daily Mail story was a conspiracy to malign the repute of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, NAB’s prosecutor said that London’s verdict has nothing to do with this case. And the London court has not yet decided the case. On this, Shahbaz said that after examining thousands of pages, the court said there is no allegation of corruption against him. The judgment after the first hearing is the win of Pakistan. “I have got justice from the London court and am hopeful that justice will be done by your court as well,” Shahbaz while addressing the judge said.

The judge remarked if you (Shahbaz) think that due to the Daily Mail verdict, you can be acquitted in this case, you can move an application in this court. Shahbaz said the Daily Mail says it has no evidence against him.

To which, the judge said let the Daily Mail say whatever it wants, but the NAB claims that “it has evidence against you”. The court, after recording statements of two prosecution witnesses, adjourned the hearing by February 17. Earlier, speaking at the rostrum, Shahbaz said the accusations levelled against him in the London court were based on nothing but assumptions.

He said the court rejected the allegations of embezzlement in DFID funds for earthquake victims as presumptuous. He said the lawyers of the Daily Mail admitted that they had no plausible proof of these allegations. He said as soon as the London court gives its detailed decision, it will be presented in the accountability court, because the allegations leveled in the NAB court are the same as published in Daily Mail and dismissed by British court.

Shahbaz claimed the lawyers of the Daily Mail repeatedly quoted NAB officials in their case. He said the first hearing of the defamation case filed by him against the Daily Mail was held on February 5.

The Daily Mail lawyers confessed in front of the judge and the whole world that there was no evidence or proof of any of the allegations that Shahbaz benefited from the DFID money. The PML-N president said it is not possible to influence, pressure or buy London courts