Reacting to the acquittal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz in the money laundering case, PTI on Wednesday termed the development a “slap in the nation’s face by the judicial system”. Former federal minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry lambasted Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza, saying that their acquittal after money laundering of Rs24 billion is a slap in nation’s face. Taking a dig at the Prime Minister [Shehbaz Sharif] and the former Punjab chief minister [Hamza Shehbaz], Fawad said that on one hand they are asking for money for the flood-affected people and on the other hand a family has looted billions of rupees. The former governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail said, “There can only be concern over the speedy acquittal of the Sharif family in various cases. Common prisoners should also have this facility. Both the families have dragged the country on the back foot.”
PTI leader Usman Dar said, “The acquittal of Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz in an open and shut case like money laundering is not a breaking news. Imran Khan’s struggle is against the system where the institutions are being destroyed.” Another PTI leader, Farrukh Habib, expressed his views and termed the acquittal as ‘NRO 2’. He said, “Shehbaz and Hamza, who looted Rs16billion in the name of employees of Ramzan Sugar Mills, have been acquitted in the case”. Farrukh also asked the people to stand against the corrupt system. Senator Shibli Faraz reacted to the acquittal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz by referring to the poetry of the famous poet, Ahmed Faraz.
Taking a jibe at the court’s decision, another PTI leader Maleeka Bokhari tweeted that the “country’s major criminals” and “convicted thieves” have been “respectfully acquitted”.
While PTI’s Parliamentary Leader in Sindh Khurrum Sher Zaman stated that he was not surprised at the acquittal of PM Shehbaz and Hamza. “The prosecution’s strings are in the hands of the imported government. We could foresee their purpose of coming into power,” he tweeted, adding that the resignation of the Federal Investigation Agency’s Director General and the absence of a witness is the actual sign of favouritism.
