Pakistan court dismisses contempt case against ex-PM Imran Khan
Al JazeeraDec 23, 2022
The Facts
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, the former Chief Minister of Punjab, were both acquitted by a special court in Lahore province on Wednesday, bringing a close to the nation's Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) money laundering case.
The FIA originally charged Sharif and his two sons in Nov. 2020, though his second son Suleman has yet to be tried since he relocated to London after the charges were filed.
The Spin
Narrative A
This case was a farce from the very beginning, and thankfully the Lahore court was interested in the truth and not political gamesmanship. No illegal funds were found and no witnesses testified against Sharif and his son. The only explanation for these charges is former PM Khan pursuing a political vendetta.
Narrative B
The FIA followed a long paper trail showing money not linked to any official Sharif family business. After these bank accounts were analyzed, the FIA uncovered large amounts of suspicious money and multiple other co-conspirators, more than enough evidence to bring indictments. This investigation had probable cause.
