LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday told an accountability court that it had no objection if former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shehbaz was granted a permanent exemption from personal hearing in the trial proceedings of a money laundering reference.

Hamza had filed an application for the permanent exemption from his personal appearance in the case.

In response to the application, the NAB filed its reply before the court saying it would not object if the court allowed the application.

The court adjourned further hearing till Jan 12 for further arguments on the application of Hamza.

Earlier, the court allowed an application of Hamza for a one-time exemption as a lawyer said the applicant had gone to London to look after his ailing daughter.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already been granted a permanent exemption from personal hearing in the case. However, a pleader attends the court’s proceedings on behalf of the prime minister.

PM Shehbaz’s younger son Suleman, a daughter Rabia Imran and son-in-law Haroon Yousaf have been declared absconders by the court for avoiding their appearance in the proceedings.

Suleman recently ended his self-exile and returned to the country after securing a interim protective bail from the Islamabad High Court.

Now, the NAB would file a supplementary challan before the court to the extent of Suleman.

In this reference of the money laundering, the NAB alleged that the family members and benamidars of PM Shehbaz received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts.

In addition to these remittances, the bureau said, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders, which were deposited with personal bank accounts of his sons Hamza and Suleman.

PM Shehbaz, his son Hamza, daughter Javeria Ali have been indicted in the reference besides other accused including Fazal Dad Abbasi, Rashid Karamat, Muhammad Usman, Masroor Anwar, Nisar Ahmad, Shoaib Qamar and Qasim Qayum.

Shehbaz’s wife Nusrat has been indicted through a pleader as she is out of the country.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022