LAHORE: Controversy over the alleged request of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with a special court in Lahore for withdrawal of money-laundering cases against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz took a new turn on Thursday as a spokesman of the agency said the case had not been withdrawn.
The controversial request for withdrawal comes after sudden removal of the investigating officer of the case, Dr Mohammad Rizwan, Director FIA who passed away of cardiac arrest on Monday. Soon after his demise, the FIA went ahead with withdrawal request.
Per the documents available online, the FIA informed a special court in Lahore days before the latter was scheduled to frame charges against the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister that it wanted not to pursue the cases.
According to a written application, dated April 11, 2022, submitted in court, the FIA director general (DG), via the investigating officer, told Special Prosecutor Sikander Zulqarnain Saleem not to appear in court as the “accused in the case are going to be elected the prime minister of Pakistan and chief minister of Punjab”.
“The concerned quarters are not interested to prosecute the accused persons,” it stated, requesting that these instructions be made part of the case record.
