LHC throws out plea against PM acquittal

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has upheld an objection to the maintainability of a plea challenging the acquittal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his sons in a Rs16 billion money laundering case. LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the plea filed by a lawyer. The LHC's registrar office had objected to the petition's maintainability, questioning the petitioner's locus standi--the right to bring a legal action before a court. As proceedings commenced, the chief justice asked the petitioner's counsel, Amir Saeed Rawn, how his client was an aggrieved party in the matter. Chief Justice Neelum noted that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the prosecuting agency, had not filed any appeal against the trial court's acquittal judgment. The petitioner's counsel argued that the decision was issued in December 2022 despite the availability of substantial evidence in the case. He alleged that the FIA had colluded with the accused to secure their acquittal from the trial court. The counsel further contended that courts could be approached even after a delay in matters of public interest. However, Justice Neelum upheld the objection raised by the registrar's office. The FIA had booked PM Shehbaz and his sons — Hamza and Suleman — in November 2020 under Sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, read with Section 3/4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010. In October 2022, a special court acquitted PM Shehbaz and his son Hamza in the money laundering case, stating there was no probability of conviction even if the prosecution's evidence collected during the investigation was recorded. In July 2023, the trial court also acquitted Suleman. The trial court had also ordered the Establishment Division secretary to initiate action against a former adviser to the prime minister on accountability, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, and FIA officials for launching what it termed a frivolous and baseless prosecution against Shehbaz and others.