Special court central judge turns down FIA pleas on Shehbaz’s personal appearance, bail cancellation
LAHORE, April 04 (SABAH): A special court central judge Ijaz Hassan Awan on Monday rejected a plea by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s and granted PML-N President Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif an exemption from personal appearance before the court following his engagement at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the judge also rejected FIA’s bail cancellation application that it had filed on the ground that no legal provision is available that gives concession to an accused to be absent from court at the bail stage. The court has summoned Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz and other accused for indictment in money laundering case on 11th April.
The judge was hearing the pre-arrest bails of Shehbaz Sharif and his son Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Muhammad Hamza Shahbaz Sharif in an alleged money laundering case of Rs16 billion.
As the proceedings commenced on Monday, Shehbaz’s counsel Muhammad Amjad Parvez Advocate submitted an application seeking exemption for him from personal appearance as the opposition leader was busy in the country’s top court following the constitutional crises.
However, the FIA prosecutor Usman strongly opposed the version of the counsel contending the court that the SC had not summoned Shehbaz in person in any matter.
FIA produced a copy of the SC’s order at which Shehbaz’s counsel raised questions as to how the copy could be considered a valid document.
The FIA’s prosecutor ensured the court that this court may pass an order for registration of an FIR against him if it proves false.
Shehbaz’s counsel implored the court that his client has to file a writ petition in SC following the ongoing constitutional crises.
Shedding light on FIA’s fresh bail cancellation application, the counsel further argued that it was very interesting that the authority had taken notice of the application which the FIA submitted two days before on the ground that no legal provision was available that gave a concession to an accused to be absent from court at the bail stage.
He also prayed to the court that his client is granted exemption from the personal appearance.
The FIA’s representatives also submitted an application contending that Shehbaz remained absent a number of times from court due to his ailment or his engagements in political activities which were absolutely not justified.
“On March 25, 2022, the accused Shehbaz Sharif remained absent from the court an application for dispensation of attendance was moved on his behalf and this court was pleased to dispense with the attendance of the accused in bail proceedings,” the application stated.
It added that the “citation relied upon the accused Shehbaz Sharif and this court is misunderstood and misinterpreted by the counsel of the accused and this court dispensed with the attendance of the accused from personal appearance. The counsel for the accused has wrongly assisted the court in order to obtain a pre-interim order on March 25, 2022”.
FIA prayed to the court that said order be recalled and the bail is dismissed.
Petitioners Shehbaz and his son Hamza in their pre-arrest bails had contended that the version of the FIA had nothing to do with reality.
They submitted that they had been implicated in a forged case merely to humiliate them and the allegations levelled on them by the concerned quarters are false and incorrect.