Remand and arrest of Shehbaz Sharif challenged in LHC

LAHORE: The arrest and remand of Shehbaz Sharif accorded by an accountability court has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday.

The petition filed in the High court states, as per Article 248, a public office holder can not be apprehended.

The federal government and Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been named respondents in the appeal.

On the other hand, NAB team has presented the report of seizing the assets of Shehbaz Sharif’s son-in-law Imran Ali.

The anti-graft watchdog apprised that properties worth million of rupees are owned by Imran Ali which includes a house and offices in Ali Tower and Ali Apartment. In addition to this, there are also the charges of taking million of rupees as bribery on the accused who has fled abroad after the issuance of arrest warrants, NAB added.

Shehbaz Sharif’s son Salman Shehbaz was also summoned by the Bureau on October 10 for interrogation into accumulation of assets allegedly beyond known sources of income.

Arrest of Shehbaz Sharif

On October 6, an accountability court granted 10-day physical remand of Shehbaz Sharif in the Rs 14 billion Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing project scam.

The National Accountability Bureau arrested the PML-N president, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, inside its Lahore office where he was summoned to record his statement in connection with the Punjab Saaf Pani Company case.

A combined investigation team of the country’s anti-graft watchdog quizzed him for an hour over his alleged role in awarding contract to his “favourite firm” in violation of laws in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing project.

The Bureau later issued a statement, declaring that former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif has been arrested in the scam.