LAHORE: An accountability court on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Salman Shahbaz, son of Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, in a case of possessing illegal assets and money laundering.

NAB Assistant Director Hamid Javed, the investigating officer, submitted an application to the court for the issuance of arrest warrants of Salman and confiscation of his alleged illegal assets.

During the hearing, Special Prosecutor Hafiz Asadullah Awan stated that Mr Salman had been nominated as accused for keeping assets beyond means and committing money laundering.

He presented “documentary evidence”, including bank records, statements of approvers and record of Telegraph Transfer (TT) of money against the accused.

He stated the NAB chairman had already issued direction for the arrest of the accused as he had not joined investigation despite six call-up notices issued in his name. He asked the court to issue arrest warrants of the accused so that further proceedings could be initiated against him for not joining the investigation.

Presiding Judge Chaudhry Ameer Muhammad Khan allowed the application and issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Salman Shahbaz for Aug 10.

Salman’s elder brother Hamza Shahbaz, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, is already on physical remand with the NAB in a case of illegal assets and money laundering.

Salman left the country for London several months ago.

The NAB alleged that assets worth Rs3.3 billion had been identified so far as illegally accumulated by Hamza, Salman and their father Shahbaz Sharif.

It said the whole family committed massive money laundering in the name of foreign remittances and loans.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2019