News Analysis |
Murad Saeed, Minister of State for Communications, has said that Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and his sons Hamza and Sulaiman also had fake accounts and were involved in money laundering like Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, local media reported on Friday. Mr. Murad Saeed was addressing a public rally when he said that ‘amazingly a person, who had never been to abroad, sent money to Sharif family from a foreign country’.
It is important to note that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team have repeatedly leveled such allegations against opposition leaders including Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. But experts believe that the institution, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which is supposed to look after all such malpractices, often fails to provide the courts with any conclusive or reliable evidence to convict anyone involved in corruption.
The investigators obtained ample evidence during probe, showing huge transfer of money through telegraphic transfer (TT), or telex transfer that is used to refer to an electronic means of transferring money.
Leveling similar allegations the minister alleged that Shahbaz Sharif and his sons looted billions of rupees from national exchequer and transferred it into their accounts abroad. Moreover, Mr. Saeed also disclosed that government have recovered public money worth Rs4.4 billion from corrupt elements.
On the other hand, father and son duo, Bilawal and Zardari has been making all efforts to stop the process of accountability. From playing the card of 18th amendment to threats of toppling the government by marching onto Islamabad, Mr. Zardari plans to evade accountability at any cost.
Read more: Why is Salman Shahbaz afraid of NAB?
Hamza Shahbaz Rejects Allegations
Hamza Shahbaz, on Friday, appeared before the anti-corruption watchdog to answer the questions pertaining to the charges of alleged money laundering and assets beyond known sources. He had been asked to present before the investigators along with the complete record. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader faced an inquiry by a three-member investigation team which continued for two hours and 45 minutes, sources said.
According to sources, Hamza Shahbaz told the NAB that he only deals with political matters whereas his brother Sulaiman Shahbaz looks after financial matters. The investigators reportedly inquired Hamza with the evidence of money laundering acquired from families’ front men who are already in NAB’s custody. Hamza failed to give satisfactory answers, as per the sources. He has been re-summoned on April 16 by NAB along with the documents required for investigation.
Even after filing a reference the anti-corruption watchdog is supposed to provide conclusive evidence so that courts can convict the involved individuals.
Earlier on April 11, Arshad Sharif, prominent Journalist, in his program ‘Power Play’ aired on ARY News revealed that the NAB had traced incontestable evidence against Hamza Shahbaz and his brother Salman Shahbaz, sons of former chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, in money laundering and accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income.
The investigators obtained ample evidence during probe, showing huge transfer of money through telegraphic transfer (TT), or telex transfer that is used to refer to an electronic means of transferring money. The NAB sources said telegraphic transfers ceased to take place in the Hamza’s account after he became the member of the Lower House of the Parliament.
Read more: Hamza Shahbaz’s assets grew 2000% during PMLN govt: NAB sources
Political analysts now wonder if the NAB will be able to file a reference against the leader of opposition in Punjab assembly or not. Even after filing a reference the anti-corruption watchdog is supposed to provide conclusive evidence so that courts can convict the involved individuals.
Research & writing by Farah Adeed with editing and additional inputs by Sana Mushtaq at the GVS News Desk.