Advocate Amjad Pervaiz also advanced arguments on the acquittal application, filed by his client, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during the proceedings. He submitted that the allegations leveled against his client were general in nature. The FIR mentioned that companies of the Sharif Group were used in the matter. However, in those 10 years, his client was neither director nor shareholder of any of these companies, he added.
He submitted that a Rs 2.8 billion account was mentioned in the FIR, but the same was removed from the challan, He questioned why the Rs 2.8 billion account was not made part of the challan, adding that Mushtaq Cheeni’s account was also removed from the challan.
To which, the FIA’s counsel submitted that some accounts were removed from challan, which did not belong to the Sharif family.
Advocate Amjad Pervaiz further submitted that it was the right of everyone to own movable or immovable property.
At this, the court remarked that it should be declared otherwise it would be considered as black money.
To which, Advocate Amjad Pervaiz argued that the FIA would have taken action if such was the case. He submitted that the case was registered during the previous government’s tenure and the Supreme Court had remarked that the FIA was used for political engineering with regard to such cases.
He submitted that the FIR was registered at a time when Shehbaz Sharif was behind bars. He submitted that as per the Agency, four billion rupees were concealed in the sale of sugar. It is to be reviewed whether the FIA had powers to investigate such charges, he added.
Subsequently, the court adjourned further proceedings till October 8 and sought further arguments on the acquittal application.
The court also exempted Hamza Shehbaz from personal appearance for one-day while allowing an application filed for the purpose, at the start of proceedings.