Shehbaz sent to Kot Lakhpat Jail as court rejects NAB plea for 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 before it on 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 the court rejected.

Shehbaz said he spent as many as 85 days in the NAB’s “internment centre.” He maintained the corruption watchdog had previously investigated him and he provided all documents sought by it.

On the other hand, the NAB prosecutor stated that the court granted physical remand of Shehbaz for 22 days in the case at hand. 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 against him. The NAB’s duty is to complete investigation whether the accused cooperates or not, the prosecutor said.

On September 28, the NAB had arrested Shehbaz after the Lahore High Court (LHC) denied him further extension in his interim bail.