The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday stopped Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting Salman Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival from London. The IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan passed the orders while hearing Salman Shehbaz’s plea, seeking protective bail. At the outset of the hearing, Salman Shehbaz’s counsel said his client will return to Pakistan on December 11 via Saudi Airlines and pleaded the court to grant protective bail. The IHC CJ remarked that the client should be in-person for protective bail. Later, the court barred FIA from arresting Salman Shehbaz upon his arrival at the Islamabad airport and directed him to surrender himself before the IHC by December 13.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son Salman Shehbaz decided to return to Pakistan. It is worth mentioning here that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had written a letter to the UK government to hand over Salman, who was wanted by the accountability watchdog under money laundering charges and the Telegraphic Transfer scandal. An accountability court in 2019 also issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Salman Shehbaz in a money laundering case.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP