PM Shehbaz's daughter, son-in-law acquitted in graft case

LAHORE: An anti-corruption court (ATC) on Wednesday discharged the daughter and son-in-law of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from a case of alleged irregularities in the Punjab Saaf Pani Company. Special Court Judge Javed Iqbal Warraich heard two separate acquittal applications filed by the prime minister’s daughter, Rabia Imran, and her husband Ali Imran Yousaf. The judge observed that no evidence had been found linking the applicants to the alleged offence. The judge further observed that the anti-corruption establishment (ACE) had submitted its investigation report, declaring both applicants innocent and that the case against them was not prosecutable. He said the prosecution also stated that an accountability court had, on Jan 31, 2022, discharged other accused in the same matter without framing charges. The judge remarked that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had failed to present evidence at that stage and even after the case was transferred to ACE and no new evidence was produced. The judge ruled that the applicants were not required for arrest in this case and their matter would be considered in light of the accountability court’s earlier decision. The judge disposed of the acquittal pleas for being infructuous and acquitted the couple from the charges. Previously, the couple was declared proclaimed offenders for avoiding the court’s proceedings against them. The trial court suspended their perpetual arrest warrants after they surrendered before the law last month. The accused acquitted during 2022 included Saaf Pani Company’s former chairman Raja Qamarul Islam and former chief executive officer Waseem Ajmal besides 14 others. Both Islam and Ajmal were arrested by NAB in June 2018 and were later released on bail granted by the Lahore High Court in January 2019. A day before his arrest, Islam was awarded a ticket by the PML-N for the 2018 election against former interior minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan, the disgruntled leader of the party, from NA-59, Rawal