Pak court freezes 13 bank accounts of companies related to Pak PM’s younger son Suleman: report

A special Pakistani court has ordered the freezing of 13 bank accounts of companies related to Suleman Shehbaz, the younger son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in connection with a multi-million dollars money laundering case, a media report said on Sunday.

The order was issued by the special court of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on September 7. The investigating officer submitted to the court details of 13 bank accounts of various companies related to Suleman, the Dawn newspaper reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz and his sons – Hamza Shehbaz (former Punjab chief minister) and Suleman – have been booked by the FIA for allegedly laundering over Rs 14 billion.

Suleman has been absconding in the UK since 2019. Shehbaz often says Suleman looks after the family business there. In his order, Presiding Judge Ijaz Hassan Awan has observed that since Suleman is still at large and has not surrendered before the court, therefore, in addition to his moveable and immovable properties, these 13 bank accounts have also been attached, the report said.

The judge also issued show-cause notices to the officials of different banks for not complying with an earlier order about the attachment of the accounts owned by two other proclaimed offenders. The judge also summoned the bank officials on September 17 when the FIA prosecutor would also come up with the reply of the prosecution to the petitions of PM Shehbaz and his son Hamza, seeking acquittal in the case.

The indictment of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza was delayed early this week after their counsel told the court that their clients have filed a petition for their acquittal. The counsel also sought a one-time exemption from appearance for the Premier, saying he could not attend Wednesday’s proceedings as he was busy in flood relief activities. The Prime Minister had told the court in an earlier hearing that the ”day of judgment may arrive but FIA will not be able to prove even a rupee worth of corruption against me.”