Hamza appears before FIA investigators
Staff Reporter
Leader of the opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz on Wednesday turned up at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore office in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged Rs25 billion money-laundering through the sugar mills accounts owned by the Sharif family.
The PML-N leader remained inside the FIA office for around 50 minutes during which he responded the investigators questions, recorded his statement and submitted relevant documents in pursuance of the agency’s notice.
According to sources in FIA, Hamza Shehbaz submitted in a written reply to the investigators that he remained behind the bars for 22 months in a case instituted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) but the anti-corruption watchdog failed to prove any corruption against him.
He recalled that the probe team had also quizzed him inside Kot Lakhpat Jail on December 17, 2020 wherein he had given detailed replies to its questions.
“Why did the FIA think of further investigation after a gap of six months?” the PML-N leader asked. He said the NAB probed his assets but couldn’t find any irregularity.
He claimed he has declared all assets with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), adding the NAB also failed prove any power abuse charges against him.
He said the FIA had become controversial after levelling false allegations on the behest of the government against him. “After giving answers of all the questions, there is no room for further investigation,” he added.
A large number of PML-N workers and supporters were gathered outside the FIA building to express solidarity with their leader. The administration put up barriers to keep the PML-N supporters away from the FIA building but they tried to cross over the barriers to reach the FIA building.
Hamza had also appeared before the FIA on June 24 and expressed his ignorance regarding the transaction of money in his personal and in his sugar mills’ accounts.
On June 22, Shehbaz Sharif appeared before an FIA team and answered their queries regarding money-laundering and the sugar scandal.
According to sources in the FIA, Shehbaz had failed to satisfy the FIA team who asked him questions regarding money laundering and sugar scandal.
Meanwhile, the PML-N spokesperson termed the NAB and FIA cases registered against its leadership as politically motivated, saying that the Niazi-NAB and FIA nexus will fail to frighten the N leaders.
The spokesperson said that Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Sharif have already went through prison experience but did not bow down to the illegal whimsies of the rulers.
He said that the PTI should learn a lesson from the history and should not victimise political opponents.
