Shehbaz Sharif sent to jail as court rejects remand extension

LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday sent Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to Kot Lakhpat Jail on judicial remand in the money laundering and assets beyond means case.

The court directed jail authorities to present the PML-N president at the next hearing on October 27. National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials produced him before the court on expiry of his physical remand and requested further extension in his remand for investigation which was rejected.

Shehbaz said he spent as many as 85 days in NAB’s custody. He maintained the corruption watchdog had previously investigated him and he provided all documents.

The NAB prosecutor stated that the court granted physical remand of Shehbaz Sharif for 22 days. Previously, he was remanded in the bureau’s custody in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scheme case.

He complained to the court that the accused was not cooperating with the bureau in its investigation. The NAB’s duty is to complete investigation whether the accused cooperates or not, the prosecutor said. On September 28, NAB had arrested Shehbaz after the Lahore High Court (LHC) denied him further extension in his interim bail.

The government has announced that it will not issue production orders for Shahbaz Sharif after a spate of rallies by the opposition. Special Assistant on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill said that the production orders will not be issued for Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in the custody of NAB. 

“The opposition parties were doing reprehensible and dirty politics to protect their looted wealth and to halt the ongoing accountability process against their bigwigs,” he said, adding that opposition leaders were using blackmailing tactics to receive National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

He said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had lost its credibility as it had failed in gathering people for their second power show in Karachi.. He added that people were not supporting the convicted, looters and plunderers, who had gathered under the banner of PDM to protect their vested interests.