NAB conducts raid at Shehbaz Sharif's residence to arrest his son

Pakistan's anti-graft body Friday conducted a raid at the residence of opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to arrest his son in a corruption case, a media report said.

A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team conducted the raid on a house, believed to be that of Shehbaz Sharif's residence, allegedly because his son 44-year-old Hamza was "not cooperating" in the assets beyond means case.

The team had gone to arrest Hamza on the basis of evidence against him in the assets beyond means and alleged money laundering case, the report said.

"NAB officials had gone to the residence with an arrest warrant and the Supreme Court had stated that the accountability bureau did not require to inform any accused prior to arresting them," the NAB said in a statement.

 

In addition to the assets beyond means case, Hamza is facing an inquiry into the Ramzan Sugar Mills case, the Dawn newspaper reported.

According to the NAB, Hamza and his younger brother Salman Shehbaz being directors of the sugar mills got constructed a bridge linking to their mills out of public money in Chiniot district in the Punjab province.

It said an amount of Rs 200 million was approved by their father Shehbaz Sharif who was then the chief minister for the construction of the bridge.

Hamza, while addressing a press conference after the raid, said he had felt like a terrorist because of the way NAB had raided the residence, the report said.

"The sanctity of the home was violated...For the first time, I felt like we are terrorists, the way the raid was conducted," he said.

Hamza, whose name had been placed on the Exit Control List, was permitted by a court to travel abroad in February as his newborn daughter was to undergo a cardiac procedure due to complications at birth.

"Hamza Shahbaz is a Pakistani. Whenever I was given a notice, I would appear before the NAB. I will not tell you the way they spoke to me," he said.

Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said it was "highly condemnable" if Sharif's home has been raided by the NAB without a warrant.

"PPP doesn't oppose accountability but we oppose political vendettas in the name of accountability. Yet another authoritarian and undemocratic move by the government," he said.

Following reports of the raid, a number of PML-N workers and supporters gathered outside the house and staged a sit-in, raising slogans against NAB.