Pakistan's Top Anti-graft Body Summons Son of PML-N Chief Shehbaz Sharif

Lahore, October 9: Pakistan's top anti-graft body has summoned Salman Shahbaz, son of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shehbaz Sharif, on Wednesday in a case pertaining to the accumulation of assets beyond the known sources of income. Shehbaz has already been in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore till October 16 in a physical remand in the Rs 1,400 crore Ashiyana housing scam case.

The NAB on Monday issued summons to Salman to appear before a joint investigation team on Wednesday in a complaint regarding building assets beyond his known sources of income. Salman is managing the business affairs of the Shehbaz family.

The NAB arrested Shehbaz on Friday last for allegedly awarding the contract of the housing project to a favourite firm after cancelling the contact of the successful bidder. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has alleged that Shehbaz was arrested at the behest of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said NAB's action against the Sharif family members is a political victimisation. Shehbaz Sharif Arrested in Pakistan Over Ashiana Housing Scandal.

The PML-N has said it will launch a protest movement against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led coalition government for targeting its political opponents. The decision to launch protests was taken during a Central Executive Committee meeting of the PML-N chaired by Nawaz, the elder brother of Shehbaz.

The PML-N central executive committee also adopted a resolution against the arrest of its leadership days before the October 14 by-elections. This was the first formal party meeting that Nawaz, 68, chaired since after his release from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi last month.

The former premier, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar were released from prison on September 19 after the Islamabad High Court suspended their sentences in the Avenfield corruption case.

The Islamabad High Court has suspended their sentences and granted them bail till the disposal of their appeals. Since then, Nawaz stayed away from media and political activities and the party leaders defended him by claiming that he was in a state of mourning over the death of his wife Kulsoom in London and that he would soon start his political activities.

However, the PML-N leaders now claim that due to the "sudden arrest" of his 67-year-old younger brother, the three-time former premier has been forced to jump into the political arena in order to boost the morale of the party workers.

Meanwhile, PML-N lawmaker and former minister Rana Sanaullah said that the party would stage protests outside the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly on Wednesday if their sessions are not called by then.

"If Imran Khan did not pay attention to this protest, then this protest will not remain confined to the parliament," he warned and demanded Shehbaz, who was the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, should be brought to the NA session.