'Thieves Are Saved,' Imran Khan Says as Court Acquits Pakistan PM & Son in Money Laundering Case

The Federal Investigation Agency booked Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2020 under different sections of the anti-corruption and anti-money laundering act.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed the acquittal of Shehbaz Sharif and his son in a money laundering case, which covered up their alleged theft.

Addressing a public gathering in Pakistan's Punjab province, Khan alleged that when judicial institutions are destroyed, "all big thieves are saved."

The cricketer-turned-politician highlighted the death of four witnesses in the case since April. Namely, the chief investigator of the case Dr. Rizwan died of a heart attack in May.

"Dr. Rizwan and four other witnesses were found dead since Sharif came to power in April. And all of them died by heart attacks," Khan said.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Lahore court acquitted Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a money laundering case. Sharif’s son, former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shahbaz was also acquitted. The case had been lodged against them by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The acquittal comes after the FIA acknowledged to the court that no direct transactions were made in the bank accounts of PM Sharif or his son. Suleman lives in London. The court had declared Suleman a proclaimed offender for his constant absence in the trial proceedings.

In the charge sheet filed in 2021, the FIA mentioned dozens of “hidden” bank accounts that it believed were used to accumulate illegal wealth by Sharif and his sons.

Nevertheless, the FIA prosecutor stated that the case should not be closed until the suspects have been indicted. The investigative agency mentioned that Hamza is allegedly involved in another money laundering case.

Chairman PTI @ImranKhanPTI talks about money laundering case on Shehbaz Sharif. Dr Rizwan and Maqsood Chaprasi were found dead by “heart attacks” in this case. pic.twitter.com/jkdhgckQo6

— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 12, 2022

Declining the FIA request, the court noted that the agency was not able to produce "concrete evidence" against the suspects.

The prime minister termed the case against him as "fake, baseless, and based on political vengeance."

PM Shehbaz said that "despite the worst practices, the use of state force, and holding institutions hostage," he still emerged victorious.

However, a senior politician of the main opposition party PTI, Shireen Mazari, said that “white collar criminals whitewashed” their crimes after being brought to power through a US regime-change conspiracy abetted by local conspirators.

Former Minister Chaudhary Fawad Hussain described the verdict as a “slap on the face of the people of the judicial system.”