Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif gets a pre-arrest bail extension in money laundering case

Through 28 benami accounts, allegedly of the Shehbaz family, approximately 14 billion Pakistani Rupees (USD 75 million) were laundered from 2008 to 2018, a PTI report stated.

Lahore: A Pakistani court on Wednesday extended pre-arrest bail to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Punjab chief minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz till May 14 in a Rs 14-billion money laundering case.

"The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) special court Lahore on Wednesday accepted Shehbaz's application seeking exemption from personal appearance for one day. However, the court directed the premier to file a reply in the case otherwise it will initiate indictment proceedings on the next hearing on May 14," a court official told PTI. However, Hamza Sharif appeared before the court.

The official said the court also directed Shehbaz's counsel Advocate Amjad Pervez to present arguments before the court on May 14 on his contention that his client can't be indicted in this case.

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Shehbaz is also the President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. Shehbaz and his sons, Hamza and Suleman, were booked by FIA in November 2020 under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Anti Money Laundering Act. Suleman is absconding and residing in the UK.