Court refuses to exclude Salman Shehbaz name from money laundering case

Special Central Court Saturday reviewed FIA’s investigation report on Salman Shehbaz Money Laundering case and while raising major questions on the report, summoned the accused on the 4th of March, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The court said that FIA investigating officer, without reviewing the former Investigating officer’s reports declared the accused Salman Shehbaz and Tahir Naqvi innocent.

The court raised major questions on the report saying that if Salman Shehbaz and Tahir Naqvi are innocent and their names have been removed from the challan, then why did they have to come to the court today and why did they file an acquittal petition?

Special central court judge Bakht Fakhar Bahazad said that 113 witnesses supported the prosecution’s story in their statements and have not at all declared them innocent. The investigating officer added their names in column number two removing them from the challan without even reviewing the evidences. He said that the court is not bound by the investigating officer’s report and is summoning them as accused. The accused withdrew their bail applications when they were found guilty in the investigation and their names were removed from the list of accused. The accused Usman, Azhar Abbas, Tauqeer-ud-deen, Khizar Hayat and 13 others have also filed an application for acquittal but according to the witnesses, Salman Shehbaz along with Tahir Naqvi and all the others accused in this case are equally guilty.

Central court Judge Bahzad said that Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz have been acquitted and the court does not want to say anything about them but Salman Shehbaz and Tahir Naqvi will appear as accused in the next hearing. FIA’s prosecutor will submit their written arguments to court in the next hearing and the defendant’s advocate can also submit their arguments in written form.

The court ordered all the accused to pay bail bonds of Rs50000 each.