Govt Decides To Hold Fresh Probe Into Hudaibiya Papers Mills Case

(@fidahassanain)

Govt decides to hold fresh probe into Hudaibiya Papers Mills case

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary says the decision has been taken after detailed briefing to Prime Minister Imran Khan by his legal team about cases against PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-May 11th, 2021) The federal government decided to hold a fresh probe into the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary said.

The government took this decision after detailed briefing to Prime Minister Imran Khan by his legal team about the cases against PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

Taking to Twitter, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif were the main suspects in the Hudaibiya case.

He said Hudaibiya Paper Mills needed a fresh investigation and concerned agencies have been asked to reopen the investigation in this regard.

The minster said that method adopted and used in laundering money through the Hudaibiya Paper Mills was used later in every case, and therefore, it was important to bring this case to end.

According to the details, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, late Shamim Akhtar, mother of Nawaz, Shehbaz and late Abbas Sharif, Maryam Safdar, Hussain Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz, Hudaibiya Paper Mills Ltd, the federal government and others were named as respondents in the appeal.

The Hudaibiya reference said that the Sharif family was accused of setting up Hudaibiya Paper Mills Ltd to launder illegal money.

A joint investigation team constituted to probe the Sharif family’s offshore properties has given its recommendation that the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case should be investigated afresh.

Subsequently, a Supreme Court bench hearing the Panama papers case had asked the bureau to reopen the case.

Former military ruler Musharraf had launched an investigation against the Sharif family members back in 2000 for their alleged involvement in money laundering. Former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who is also close aide and relative of Sharifs also made confesstional statement before a judicial magistrate, saying that Sharif brothers used the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case as a cover for money laundering during late 1990s.

However, Dar turned hostile, saying that he made this statement under duress.

Fida Hussnain

Fida Hussnain is a lahore based journalist. He writes on politics, religion, social issues and climate change. He is also a research fellow at University of Gujrat.