ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted 14-day protective bail to Suleman Shehbaz, the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a money laundering case and directed him to appear before the court at the next hearing, Pakistani media reported.
Shehbaz, along with his brother, is accused of laundering billions of rupees out of Pakistan through fictitious bank accounts. The case against him was registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in 2020.
Shehbaz, who returned to Pakistan last week after four years in self-exile in the United Kingdom, also faces an assets-beyond-means case, registered against him by Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
In Tuesday’s hearing, Shehbaz’s counsel Amjad Pervez told IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq his client had to appear before a trial court in Lahore.
“Justice Farooq, after learning this, granted protective bail to PM’s son and directed him to appear before the relevant court within 14 days,” Pakistan’s Geo News channel reported.
In his petition for protective bail, Shehbaz had contended that he had left Pakistan in 2018, while the money laundering case against him was registered in 2020.
The FIA had not issued a call-up notice to him either, he had said.
The IHC earlier ordered Shehbaz to surrender before it by December 13 and restricted the FIA and NAB from arresting him till then, according to the report.
The court had issued the order after Shehbaz’s counsel had assured the bench that he would return to the country.
Suleman had landed in Pakistan on December 11, following the court’s order.
