Salman Shehbaz returns to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Salman Shehbaz, son of Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, has returned to Pakistan after four years in exile, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Salman Shehbaz landed at Islamabad Airport on flight number SV-726 at in the wee hours of Sunday.

Salman Shehbaz was wanted by the accountability watchdog due to allegations of money laundering and the telegraphic transfer scandal. National Accountability Bureau had issued a letter to the UK government requesting to turn him over.

A 2019 accountability court had also issued non-bail-able arrest orders for him in a case involving money laundering.

On December 8, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stopped Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival from London.

Read more: Salman Shehbaz decides to return Pakistan, seeks protective bail

The IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan passed the orders while hearing Salman Shehbaz’s plea, seeking protective bail.

At the outset of the hearing, Salman Shehbaz’s counsel said his client would return to Pakistan on December 11 via Saudi Airlines and pleaded the court to grant protective bail.

Later, the court barred FIA from arresting him upon his arrival at the Islamabad airport and directed him to surrender himself before the IHC by December 13.

It is worth mentioning here that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had written a letter to the UK government to hand over the son of PML-N president, who was wanted by the accountability watchdog under money laundering charges and the Telegraphic Transfer scandal.