Officer probing money laundering cases against Shehbaz Sharif, son goes on leave

File Photo

Anticipating a change of government, the chief of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Lahore unit, who is probing into the money laundering cases against the joint oppositions nominees for the slots of the Prime Minister and Punjab Chief Minister, Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz, respectively, has gone on leave for indefinite period.

According to a notification, FIA Lahore Director Mohammad Rizwan has gone on leave on full pay with effect from April 11, onward.

A source in the FIA told Dawn news on Saturday that Rizwan had gone on leave anticipating his ‘certain transfer’ if there is a change in the federal government.

"The first order the new government may pass will be the transfer of Rizwan with whom Shehbaz Sharif was not happy for, what he )(Shehbaz) called, taking dictations from (former accountability adviser to the premier) Shehzad Akbar in the cases instituted against him and his family members at the behest of Prime Minister Imran Khan," the source said.

A special court (Central-I) of FIA is likely to indict Shehbaz and Hamza in the 14 billion PKR money laundering case on Monday.

Last year, giving in to the demand of the lawmakers belonging to Jahangir Tareen group, the PTI government had removed Rizwan from heading the investigation against Tareen and his son Ali Tareen in the sugar scam.

However, the government later restored the officer.